Possible Research Areas for the Thesis

Industrial Engineering and Engineering Management

AHP Theory and Applications; Change Management; Conflict Management; Customer Oriented Operations and Quality Management; Development and Implementation of Concurrent Engineering and Time Based Strategies; Engineering Management; Enterprise Resources Planning (ERP); Environmental Management and ISO14000; Ergonomics and Human Factors; Experiential and Activity-based Learning; Financial Modelling and Asset Pricing; Global Manufacturing Systems-Design and Management; Implementation of ISO9000, TQM, and JIT; Information and Knowledge Management; Intelligent Decision Making and Forecasting Systems; Intelligent Maintenance and Management; International Benchmarking Studies of Manufacturing Practices; Internet and Intranet Based Management Systems; Lean Manufacturing and Value Stream Management; Learning Organization and Organizational Learning; Logistics and Transportation; Manufacturing Strategy; Modelling of Manufacturing Systems; Occupational Health and Safety Management; Process and Quality Control; Process Performance Analysis and Improvement; Product Development Strategies and Management in Hong Kong; Production Planning and Inventory Control; Project Management; Smart Asset Management; Supply Chain and Logistics Management; Technological Innovation and Entrepreneurship Management; Web-based Collaborative Product Development; Work Design in Hybrid Systems.

Design and Manufacture

Adhesion of Surface Coating; Agile Integration of Product Design and Manufacturing; CADCAM; CIM Real-time Scheduling; Compensatory Control of Machine Tools; Computer Aided Geometric Design; Computer Aided Process Planning (CAPP); Computer Vision and CADCAM; Design for Manufacture and Assembly; Digital Video Imaging and Compression Studies; Electronic Packaging; Engineering and Surface Metrology; Environmental Impact Assessment and Management System; Experimental Mechanics; Fault Diagnosis and Prognosis; Forming Technology for Composite Materials; Friction and Wear; Green Lubrication in Metal Forming; Green Manufacturing; High Pressure Rheology Research; High Temperature Deformation and Metal Forming Processes; Intelligent Process Planning for Surface Finishing; Interactive Web Design and Manufacturing; Knowledge Based Injection Mould and Die Design and Manufacture; Laser Applications; Machine Tool Design; Machine Vision; Machining Process Monitoring and Control; Machining Optimization Using Coated Tools; Magneto-rheological Suspensions; Mechanics of Sheet and Plate Bending; Modelling of Automation Systems; Molecular Dynamics Simulation; Multimedia Design and Application for Internet; Nano-structured Multilayers; Nano-technology and Nano-materials; Nesting and Cutting Path Optimization; Nondestructive Testing; Novel Superhard Nano-composite Coatings; Optical Metrology; Powder Metallurgy for Ti-Al-Si In Situ Composites; Process-design Approach to Error Compensation in End Milling; Product Design Modelling and Optimization; Properties and Micro-structures of Alloys; Rapid Prototyping and Manufacturing; Reverse Engineering; Sensor-fusion Applications for Machining Process Control; Signal Processing and Conditioning; Slip Effect of Cold Rolling; Smart Maintenance Systems; Stress Analytical Methods in Thin Films; Surface Engineering and Hard-coating; Surface Engineering and Wear; Experiment and Modelling; Thermal Differential Forging; Thin Film Lubrication at Nanometre Scale; Tool Condition Monitoring and Tool Life Prediction; Tool Design; Tribology; Web-based Collaborative Maintenance; Virtual Reality for Product Design and Manufacturing.

Mechatronics and Automation

Adaptive Control Systems; Analysis and Design of Fuzzy Control Systems; Automatic Flexible Materials Handling; Automation for Entertainment/Education and Healthcare/Medical Services; Deflection Curvature Measurement; Design and Control of Semiconductor Packaging Process; Engineering Education; Fuzzy Decision and Control; Hybrid Systems Analysis and Control; Industrial Automation; Intelligent Assessment, Diagnosis, Automation and Operation of Power Systems; Intelligent Control; Intelligent Flexible Assembly System; Intelligent Operation and Control of Robots; Intelligent Systems and Control; Internet-based Remote Sensing and Control; Mechatronic Product and Process Design; Micro Air Vehicles; Micro-robot; Motion Controls; Navigation of Mobile Robots; Re-configurable Conveyor System; Robotics and Automation; Robotic Mould Surface Finishing; Robotics, Robot Vision, Sensing and Sensor Based Control, Interface Devices for VR; Robotics for Maintenance Services; Sensor Based Autonomous Vehicles; Sensors and Actuators; Smart Materials and Structures; Surface Finish Inspection by Computer Vision; Structurally Embedded Fibre Optic Sensors.