DEARBORN, MI — As the United States’ manufacturing sector continues to gain momentum, manufacturing professionals can continue their own development at the 2012 Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME) Annual Conference. Held June 3-5, 2012, in Cleveland, the conference offers the networking, learning opportunities and technological innovations that are integral to the industry’s future.

The 2012 SME Annual Conference will give participants access to two high-profile keynote speakers. Ramon "Ray" Lugo III, Director at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) John H. Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, will highlight some of the ways NASA technology is being transferred to various manufacturing applications. Tom Kiser, CEO of PSI Energy Solutions in Cleveland, will outline what he believes is a necessary and transformative shift in the way the industry thinks about producing, distributing and using energy that will set America on the path to sustainable self-sufficiency.

Conference attendees will have the opportunity to tour the NASA Glenn Research Center as part of the event program. SME will also offer tours of the machine division of Cleveland-based Lincoln Electric, a leader in the design, development and manufacture of arc welding products, robotic arc welding systems, fume-control systems, plasma and oxyfuel cutting equipment.

Central to the event’s programming are sessions showcasing SME’s 2012 “Innovations That Could Change the Way You Manufacture.” This year’s featured technologies include products and processes that already are generating significant cost reductions and advancing operations for manufacturers across the country. They include automated blade profiling, hyper-carbide cutting tools, model predictive controls, advanced control solutions, technology designed to accelerate LED lighting adoption, regenerative medicine and quantum levitation.

For additional information, visit www.sme.org/conference.