Biography
Dr. Alan Ryan is a lecturer in Sustainable Automation, Quality Management & Supply Chain in the Department of Design & Manufacturing Technology. He is director of the Materials & Automation Research group.
Alan's research interests include process optimisation, quality management systems and sustainable treatment of products at the end of their useful life.
Alan's industrial background working as a manufacturing engineer for a leading multinational electronics manufacturer and uses this industrial background in his approach to research, lecturing and problem solving.
Specific research projects Alan is involved with at the moment include, forecasting and planning end of life treatment of WEEE, successful implementation of lean manufacturing in large organisations (barriers and how to sustain success) and an FP7 project investigating the development of a data management system capable of capturing and modelling process knowledge in organisations.
Alan is a member of Engineers Ireland, has developed new systems and technologies which have been patented and licenced to spin-out companies. He jointly led UL's admission into the CDIO community, which is a move towards making engineering lecturing more problem based. The aim here being to help students grasp key concepts and to provide an industry ready graduate.
Professional Activities
Patent
- 2011 85888 - Removal of Hazardous Substances from LCD Displays
Association
- Member, Engineers Ireland