Speakers

Keynote Speaker

Assoc. Prof. Ir. Ts. Dr. Mohamed Thariq Bin Haji Hameed Sultan

Assoc. Prof. Ir. Ts. Dr. Mohamed Thariq Bin Haji Hameed Sultan Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM)

Composites made from high strength fibres are commonly used for structural applications due to its high specific strength and high specific stiffness to weight ratio. Synthetic fibres are the typical high strength fibres, as examples; glass fibre, carbon fibre and Kevlar. However, the usage of synthetic fibres had raised several issues. Synthetic fibres can cause environmental problems since it is difficult to be recycle. Other than that, synthetic fibres are also a costly material, and these issues require researchers to find other alternatives to replace synthetic fibre, or at least reduce the usage of synthetic fibre for the structural applications. Therefore, in the last few decades, researchers has started to come out with several suggestions on new materials involving natural fibres. Natural fibres has started to gain recognitions since it is reusable and renewable. Specifically, new composite materials has been developed aiming to improve composite sustainability. In this presentation, a prospective analysis about the future of natural fibre composites in structural applications is presented. Additionally, study on different parts in associated to the usage of natural fibres for real life engineering applications is also given.

Mohamed Thariq Hameed Sultan @ M.T.H Sultan

M.T.H. Sultan was born in 1977 in a small town in Kuala Lumpur called Gombak. In 2011, he graduated from the Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Sheffield United Kingdom as a Philosophy Doctorate. He began work in the Department of Aerospace Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universiti Putra Malaysia in 2011. Later in 2013, he was appointed as the Head of Aerospace Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) by Universiti Putra Malaysia. Being the Head of AMRC, M.T.H. Sultan published a series of paper which contributed significantly to the development of his field. During his tenure as the head of this center, he has secured an International Consultancy from Aerospace Research Centre (ARC), Sudan. He was appointed as the International Lead Consultant for Experimental & Computational Analysis of Composite Structures. His consultation also covers the field of Structural Composite Materials, particularly in the sectors of Aerospace Engineering. His work was based on the development of processing techniques for affordable composite materials using fibre preforming technologies.

M.T.H. Sultan was later appointed as the Head of Biocomposite Technology Laboratory (BIOCOMPOSITE) Institute of Tropical Forestry and Forest Products (INTROP), UPM in 2017. Being the Head of Biocomposite Technology Laboratory, he is also appointed as an Independent Scientific Advisor to Aerospace Malaysia Innovation Centre (AMIC) based in Cyberjaya, Selangor, Malaysia. For many years he headed the work on development, design and characterising impact damages on composite structures which has led him to published more than 158 journal articles and 6 books with Elsevier. The work on impact studies are now being carried out by almost 50 research scholars under his guidance. His research interest lies in the field of Hybrid Composites, Advance Materials and Structural Health Monitoring.

M.T.H. Sultan was elected by the members of the Institution of Engineers Malaysia to become the Chairman of Engineering Education Technical Division (E2TD). The objective of his division includes defining and influencing the future education trends in areas of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Programmes, Accreditation requirement, Global curricular at the Technical and Graduate level, professionalism among engineering lecturers and post graduate training of graduate engineers. He also advises the IEM on the need for financial support towards engineering education, research and development (R&D) and monitoring global development in the field of Engineering Education.

In 2016, M.T.H. Sultan has secured almost RM 600,000 for a project under Newton Ungku Omar Fund namely Safe Biodegradable Packaging (SafeBioPack). This project has developed affordable innovative sustainable packaging with improved shelf-life performance. The packaging system was based on the use of cost-competitive, presently under utilised waste and the use of a new concept of active packaging; a packaging that will reduce/eliminate pathogen microbial growth, increasing shelf-life of packaged food (meat and vegetables). This will reduce food waste across the supply chain. The packaging system was designed with agri-waste (palm empty fruit bunch), setting-up a platform for other subsequent broader uses, and has contributed to minimizing waste-to-landfill problems.

Later in 2017, he was invited by the Royal Academy of Engineering (RAENG) United Kingdom for the Leaders in Innovation Fellowship (LIF) programme. As the UK’s national academy for engineering and a registered charity, the Royal Academy of Engineering brought him together with the other most successful and talented engineers from across the engineering sectors to advance and promote excellence in engineering and innovation both in the UK and globally. This LIF programme was run by the Academy and funded by the UK Government Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, Newton Fund programme. The Fellowship brings the leading technology entrepreneurs from Newton Fund partner countries to the UK for an intensive training course on innovation whilst also building Business-to-Business networks with similar enterprises in the UK.

Structural Health Monitoring (SHM), Damage Detections and Repairs, Low And High Velocity Impact Studies, Composite Materials.

Keynote Speaker

Prof. Ts. Dr. Ruzairi Abdul Rahim Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM)

Ruzairi Abdul Rahim graduated with honours degree in Electronic System & Control Engineering from Sheffield City Polytechnic, United Kingdom in 1992. In 1996, he received the Ph.D. degree from Sheffield Hallam University, United Kingdom for a thesis title A tomographic imaging system for pneumatic conveyor using optical fibres. He began his career as a tutor at the Department of Control & Instrumentation Engineering in the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) in 1992. He was made Associate Professor at UTM in 1999 and Professor in 2006. He was appointed as the Head of Department in 1 June 1998 for 8 years. In 2006, he was appointed as the Deputy Dean (Corporate) at Research Management Centre, UTM for about 3 years before appointed as the Director at the Research Management Centre in 2009. Now Professor Dr Ruzairi has been appointed as Deputy Vice Chancellor (Research & innovation) at Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM). He has written more than 17 original books, published more than 284 papers in refereed journals, produced more than 124 conference papers as well as numerous other writings including chapter in a books, articles in popular publications, manuscripts, and technical reports. Professor Ruzairi is a member of Institute of Electrical Engineers (IEEEE). He has received more than 35 academic and research awards, including Top Researcher Scientist Malaysia 2013 awarded by Academic Science Malaysia.

Emerging Research in Tomography Sensors.

Sensors & Measurements, Process Tomography.

Keynote Speaker

Prof. Dr. Riad Taha Al-kasasbeh Al-Balqa University, Jordan

Riad Taha Al-Kasasbeh has an MS in Engineering Science and PhD in Controlling of Biological and of Electronic Equipments. Currently, he is an Professor at Al-Balqa University. He is a member of professional organisations, an auditor for quality of research and education and co-author of over 89 papers (Editions: Springer,Elsevier, IEEE, France Taylor, IASTED,etc.). He is also a Visiting Professor along with other universities like Philadelphia, University and Konstanz University (HTWG), Germany. He was a Research Fellow of DFG at (HTWG).His research fields cover modelling and simulation of man machine systems, EEG signal processing, biomedical design instrumentation, biophysics and acupuncture and renewable energy.

A biotech measurement scheme and software application for prediction and early pre-nosological diagnostics of internal diseases based on energy characteristics of bioactive points with fuzzy logic rules.

Bio-signal Processing, Man-machine Systmes, Acuponture, Ergonomics, Biomedical Engineering.

Keynote Speaker

Prof. Karl Kohlhof TH Cologne University, Germany

The 4th industrial revolution includes digitalization and network linking of automated processes. Thus a lot of sensed data recorded locally may be collected, stored, compared etc. centrally, finally to be resent to regulate processes in a reliable and stable manner. In that scheme the Internet of Things behaves as a cyber physical copy of the hardware processes to be controlled. The regulation paradigm changes from state of the art local feedback loop circuits or functional diagram map controlling to delocalized cloud based control algorithms. This strategy allows millions of similar control events to be respected by machinery learning. Thus software based artificially simulated cognition and self-learning help to adopt and optimize the process stability. Multi-level neuronal, deep learning networks as mathematical models allow the transfer of biological signal processing strategies to adopt it to technical solutions. This presentation shows exemplary first ideas how to regulate comfort climate in buildings by such artificial neuronal networks performed within the Internet of Things. It comprises finally critical remarks towards ethic and security aspects.

Karl Kohlhof received his tertiary education from University of Cologne, Germany in Physics, Numerical Mathematics and Polymer Chemistry. He has working experiences for 5 years at German State Research Center Juelich and with Robert Bosch automotive research in Stuttgart for 8 years, before becoming a Professor at University of Applied Science Cologne (Technische Hochschule) in Physics, Micro- and Nano Technologies. He belongs to the senate, research committee, international committee and acts as the master course-manager at the university. His research interest includes smart, micro structured sensors in automation processes, and implementation into the Internet-of-Things (IoT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems. He is involved with international academic teaching and research network with Cuba and Mexico (Latin America) and Malaysia (South East Asia). He has received several awards – a university medal from Technological University of Havana, Cuba (CUJAE) and a honorary doctorate in Engineering from Universiti Malaysia Perlis (UniMAP).

Materials Science, Experimental Physics, Materials Physics.