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. 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'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.
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.
Teaching Interests
I lecture a variety of modules including Automation, Design for Sustainability, Quality Management, Design for Environment and Manufacturing System Design.
I aim to teach through a mixture of active learning i.e. practical lab session and group work within lectures and the traditional lecture based material.
Module Descriptions
Automation: This module covers the automation technologies to ensure mass manufacturing is carried out in an effective and efficient manner, topics covered include:Programmable Logic controllers, LabVIEW, pneumatics, motors, logic gates, signal conditioning and more.
Design for Sustainability: examines how products are manufactured and how simple design changes can improve the End of Life treatment of products and help to promote reduce, reuse and recycling of materials.
Quality Management: investigates the importance of quality managment within manufacturing and shows the students the fundamentals of quality tools applied within industry e.g. 6 sigma, Pareto, QFD and process control charts.
I also lecture on a number of our distance learning programmes and promote the use of technology such as worked video examples, interactive discussion boards and web-based lectures.
Professional Activities
Patent
- 2011 85888 - Removal of Hazardous Substances from LCD Displays
Association
- Member, Engineers Ireland
Publications
Book Chapters
Developing an Environmentally Sustainable PCB using Existing Industrial Production Equipment
Ryan. A
(2012)
Developing an Environmentally Sustainable PCB using Existing Industrial Production Equipment
In Advances in Engineering Research ;
New York :
Nova Science Publishers Inc
Using Electrically Conductive Inks and Adhesives as a Means to Satisfy European PCB Manufacturing Directives
Ryan A. and Lewis H.
(2010)
Using Electrically Conductive Inks and Adhesives as a Means to Satisfy European PCB Manufacturing Directives
In Electrically Conductive Adhesives ;
Leiden :
Brill
Printing an Alternative Manufacturing Method,
Ryan. A and Lewis. H
(2010)
Printing an Alternative Manufacturing Method,
In New Trends in Technologies: Devices, Computer, Communication and Industrial Systems;
Croatia :
SCIYO
Using Electrically Conductive Inks and Adhesives as a means to Satisfy European PCB Manufacturing Directives
Lewis, HJ; Ryan, A
(2008)
Using Electrically Conductive Inks and Adhesives as a means to Satisfy European PCB Manufacturing Directives
In Electrically Conductive Adhesives;
Leiden Netherlands :
Koninklijke BRILL NV
Leiden Netherlands
Peer Reviewed Journals
Effect of surface roughness on Paper Substrate Circuit Boards
Ryan. A and Lewis. H
(2012)
Effect of surface roughness on Paper Substrate Circuit Boards
In Ieee Transactions On Components Packaging And Manufacturing Technology;
New york :
Characterising components of liquid crystal displays to facilitate disassembly
Ryan, A; O' Donoghue, L; Lewis, H
(2011)
Characterising components of liquid crystal displays to facilitate disassembly
In Journal Of Cleaner Production;
DOI: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2011.01.009
Using electrically conductive inks and adhesives as a means to satisfy European PCB manufacturing directives
Lewis, HJ; Ryan, A
(2008)
Using electrically conductive inks and adhesives as a means to satisfy European PCB manufacturing directives
In Journal Of Adhesion Science And Technology;
DOI: 10.1163/15685610SX305534
Manufacturing an environmentally friendly PCB using existing industrial processes and equipment
Ryan, A; Lewis, H
(2007)
Manufacturing an environmentally friendly PCB using existing industrial processes and equipment
In Robotics And Computer-Integrated Manufacturing;
DOI: 10.1016/j.rcim.2007.02.009
Conference Publications
29th International Manufacturing Conference
Cassidy, D. Walsh, P. and Ryan, A.
(2012)
29th International Manufacturing Conference
Belfast
Flexible Automation and Intelligent Manufacturing
Ryan A, Lewis, H & O'Donoghue L.
(2010)
Flexible Automation and Intelligent Manufacturing
International Manufacturing Conference IMC 26
O'Donoghue L, Ryan A, Lewis H
(2009)
International Manufacturing Conference IMC 26
G.E. O'Donnell & Mr. K. Kelly(Ed.)
Dublin
International Manufacturing Conference IMC 24
Ryan A. and Quinlan M
(2007)
International Manufacturing Conference IMC 24
Waterford
Advances in Material and Processing Technologies
Ryan A. and Lewis, H
(2006)
Advances in Material and Processing Technologies
13th International Scientific Conference 'Achievements in Mechanical and Materials Engineering
Ryan, A and Lewis, H
(2005)
13th International Scientific Conference 'Achievements in Mechanical and Materials Engineering
Gliwice
13th International Scientific Conference 'Achievements in Mechanical and Materials Engineering
Burke, S, Ryan, A, Gaughran, W
(2005)
13th International Scientific Conference 'Achievements in Mechanical and Materials Engineering
Gliwice