Seminar presenters for 2001

Jim Platts
Institute for Manufacturing
Department of Engineering
University of Cambridge
Cambridge, England.

Phone: +44 (0) 1223 338197
Fax: +44 (0) 1223 338076
Email: mjp@eng.cam.ac.uk

Documents on this web site from Jim Platts

1. Presentation on Manufacturing and Values

A Powerpoint show (34 slides) from the "Manufacturing and Values" seminar that Jim gave at various locations in Australia. This is a self-running show, and does not require the full version of Powerpoint - only the Powerpoint Viewer, which can be freely downloaded from the Microsoft web site. If you already have Powerpoint, you won't need the Viewer software.

2. A Real Player video (duration 74 minutes) of the "Manufacturing and Values" seminar.

3. The Four Skills

The Four Skills is a concept developed by Frank Emspak of the Trade Union Training Centre at the University of Michigan, and adapted by Jim Platts. Here is a set of working notes, in both HTML format (best for reading on screen) and RTF format (for printing from word processing software).

4. Developing competence and trust: maintaining the heart of a profession. This overlaps a little with the Manufacturing and Values presentation, listed above. It's available in two formats:
 ...as a Powerpoint Show
 ...as a printable paper in RTF format

5. A paper on Achieving Consensus (RTF format). This overlaps a little with The Four Skills (no.2 above).

The Care and Growth Model

A book frequently referred to by Jim Platts during his seminars in Australia in September was
Leadership: the Care and Growth Model, by Etsko Schuitema. Published at Kenilworth, Republic of South Africa, by Ampersand Press, 2000. ISBN 1-910760-13-X

Further information about the Care and Growth Model can be found on the Schuitema Associates web site at www.schuitema.co.za

Spent 23 years in industry, was a partner in the consulting engineering practice Gifford and Partners, 1981-6, MD of Composite Technology Ltd 1986-9 and is now a lecturer in the Manufacturing Engineering Group. His interests are design and manufacturing, particularly skill-based manufacturing, and a concern for ethical leadership.

Academic Interests

• The development of skill and competence in design and manufacturing
• Optimum performance component design in composites
• Advanced production processes for composites
• Advanced metal wing production processes
• Automating the gemstone industry
• Ethical leadership

Other Interests

A member of the Institute of Civil Engineers, and having spent a long time involved in large multi-disciplinary projects in that industry (major bridge projects, buildings, high speed ground transportation, military bridging, renewable energy development), I am a supervisor and examiner on the Inter-Disciplinary Course for the Built Environment and retain an interest and involvement in the development of good project management in that industry.

Cambridge University's representative Director in Cambridge Gemonics, I am interested in the development of a world wide industry which is still largely craft based, but which can be enhanced by the development of technology to support the geometric and optical optimisation of gemstone design, accurately automated rough stone analysis, shape fitting, cutting, grinding and polishing to give maximum yield, and stone 'signature' recording for authenticity verification.

Quaker, a Fellow of the RSA (Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufacture and Commerce) and a member of the International Federation of Automatic Control committee concerned with Automatic Control based on Human Skill, I have a strong interest in issues of ethical ownership and leadership in manufacturing, in different cultural settings worldwide. This is supported by a strong interest in history, and in economics, and particularly in cultural development, and an understanding of and deep respect for the teachings of different religious traditions.

Publications

Platts M.J. "Composites Blades for Wind Turbine Rotors". Proceedings, British Plastics Federation 18th BPF Composites Congress. (1992)

Platts M.J. "The Return of the Master Craftsman." Design: Principles and Practice. Open University Course T264 (1992)

Platts M.J. "Confucius on Leadership". Journal of Strategic Change, Vol 3, No 5, pp. 249-260 (1994)

Platts M.J. "Paradigm Shifts in Manufacturing Ownership and Leadership". Journal of Strategic Change. Vol. 4, No.1, pp.33-37 (1995)

Platts M.J., Makiyama A.M., Jones S.E., "Optimum Fibre Distribution in Composites Components", 4th International Conference on Automated Composites, Nottingham (September 1995).

Platts M.J. "Limited Liability", Religion and Public Life Conference, St. Thomas University, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA (September 1995)

Platts M.J. "The Design and Manufacture of Optimally Shaped 3D Composites Components". 5th IFAC Symposium on Automated Systems based on Human Skill, Berlin. (September 1995)

Platts M.J. "Technology is the Art of Realising Craftsmanship", 5th IFAC Symposium on Automated Systems based on Human Skill, Berlin. (September 1995)

Platts M.J. "Computer Aided Thinking", Co-design, Vol. 4, pp.66-71 (1995)

Platts M.J. "Emotional Dynamics of Student Projects". Personal Development in Engineering Discipline Network Conference, I Mech.E., London, pp. 62-68 (November 1995)

Makiyama A.M., Platts M.J. "Topology Design for Composite Components of Minimum Weight", Applied Composite Materials, Vol. 4, pp. 29-41 (1996)

Jones S.E., Platts M.J. "Using internal fibre geometry to improve the performance of pin-loaded holes in composite materials". Applied Composite Materials, Vol 3, pp. 117-134 (1996)

Platts M.J. "Multi-Criteria Proposal Assessment Methodology." Journal of Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis, Vol 5, No. 3, pp.226-231 (1996)

Platts M.J. "In praise of skunkworks!" The Aeronautical Journal, 101,(1005),213-216(1997)

Platts ,M.J. "Greed's OK Actually." 2nd Int. Symp. on Catholic Social thought & Management Education, Antwerp (July 1997)

Platts M.J. "Competence: the Virtue of Maturity." 6th IFAC Symposium on Automated Systems based on Human Skill, Slovenia, 231-234 (September 1997)

Jones S.E., Platts M.J. "Practical Optimum Internal Fibre Distribution in Composite Components. "5^th International Conference on Automated Composites, Glasgow, 295-302 (September 1997)

Platts M.J. "Redefining Productivity." 7th Int. Forum on Technology Management, Kyoto, 390-393 (November 1997)

Platts M.J. "The Way of the Craftsman." 7th Int. Forum on Technology Management, Kyoto, 411-415 (November 1997)

Platts M.J. "Participating in the Work of Creation" European Journal of Engineering Education, 23, (2), 163-169 (1998)

More publications, on manufacturing leadership and competence development.