THEME:  Failure Prevention for System Availability

Introduction

‘MFPT 62’, the 62nd Meeting of the Society for Machinery Failure Prevention Technology (MFPT) will be held May 6-8, 2008, at the Sheraton Oceanfront Hotel, Virginia Beach, Virginia, Tel (757) 425-9000.   Please note the new hotel venue for 2008.  The Sheraton is much closer to the center of the shoreline “strip” and offers better access to amenities as well as superior accommodation, parking and facilities.

In the planning of MFPT 62, the Program Committee will continue to promote the Society’s policy of cooperation with organizations that have related technical interests.  These organizations include professional societies such as SEM, STLE, ASM, IEEE and ASME; the Shock and Vibration Information Analysis Center (SAVIAC); and a number of Universities and Centers of Excellence, in particular the ISM at the University of Cincinnati.  Chris Pomfret, Executive Director of the Society, is the Conference Manager.

As always, MFPT encourages the creation of written papers and will publish papers that are received by the deadline in a hard bound set of proceedings, available at the conference, and in electronic CD format (with the non published presentation material and keynote speeches) after the conference.  While a PowerPoint presentation is a perfectly acceptable format for the conference and CD, we do encourage potential presenters to write a paper and receive the appropriate professional recognition and publication.

Theme

The 2008 Program THEME was chosen in response to the growing importance of availability to system operators’ performance, efficiency, competitiveness and, ultimately, “bottom line”.  The conference will thus focus on how failure prevention technologies beneficially influence availability, and therefore effectiveness, support cost and through-life value of the systems that they support.

Technical Sessions

The technical sessions at MFPT 62 will be developed by the Technical Program Committee based upon the abstracts submitted.  In keeping with the theme, we would especially like abstract submitters to address in their papers how their sciences and technologies contribute to improving availability of the higher level systems they serve.  Technical Committee Chairs will organize the sessions, which will be part of three parallel technical tracks.  Suggestions and questions should be submitted to MFPT Headquarters.  Paper topics for the conference include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Diagnostics and Signal Analysis
• Data Usage, Manipulation and Creation of Information/Knowledge Bases
• Prognostics (Machinery, Structures, Electronics)
• Selection and Application of Metrics
• Fault Detection and Failure Prediction
• Standards, Definitions and Terms of Reference
• Corrosion Detection and Prevention
• Remaining Useful Life Determinations
• Tribology (Wear, Lubrication, Coatings Applications, etc)
• Distributed System Architecture
• Structural Health Management
• Sensor Technologies and Applications
• Practical Case Histories

Conference Agenda

The Agenda will comprise an Opening Plenary Session designed to highlight the current and future cutting-edge technology needs that challenge our technical community.  Three parallel technical tracks will then follow for the next two and one half days.  Conference sponsors and/or exhibitors will be able to present their capabilities in a special ‘New Products and Services’ Session.

A preliminary conference program will be posted on the MFPT website in December 2007, including complete hotel and registration information, and will be periodically updated to include the latest details.  This Call for Papers, along with an on-line Abstract Submittal form, can be found on the MFPT web site now.

Submission of Abstracts

Please submit your abstract on-line at www.mfpt.org by September 14, 2007 using the MFPT 62 Abstract Submittal Form.  If the paper has been published or presented before, please give the circumstances.

Preparation and Publication of Papers

Principal authors of accepted papers will find full instructions for paper preparation under Author Guidelines on the MFPT web site.  Authors must submit their final papers on the MFPT website by 1 February 2008 so as to meet the deadline for publication in the case-bound black and white Proceedings, which will be available at the Conference.  In addition, a CD of the entire Conference Proceedings, containing all the written papers and ‘PowerPoint’ presentation charts, will be issued after the conference.  For all contributed papers published in the proceedings, a speaker will be required to attend the conference, present the paper and pay the required registration fee.  Publication of the paper is contingent upon the payment of the fee.  The Henry and Sallie Pusey Award, introduced at MFPT 61 in April 2007, will be presented to the author of the paper judged to have the best technical content.

Exhibits and Sponsors

Technical exhibits form an integral and important part of the MFPT conference and ample time will be scheduled for participants to visit the exhibits.  The number of exhibits is limited and will be assigned on a first-come, first-served basis.  Exhibitors may reserve a 3’ x 6’ table-top exhibit for $900, or an 8’ x 10’ booth for $1300 – see the Exhibitor Layout plan on the MFPT website.  Once registered as an exhibitor, the company logo will be displayed on the MFPT website, along with a brief company description and contact details.  Exhibitors are also encouraged to give a 10-minute presentation in the New Products and Services Session.  Furthermore, an Exhibitors’ Reception will be held on the evening of the first day of the conference. Lunches and breaks will also be served in the exhibit area each day.  To participate, please complete the Exhibitor Registration form on the MFPT website.  Exhibitors who reserve space by January 15, 2008 will be profiled in the MFPT 62 feature issue of Sound & Vibration magazine.  Exhibitors will receive one free admission to the Conference.   

As a new venture in 2008, and as an alternative to exhibiting, companies and organizations are welcome to sponsor a break or meal during the conference:

• Morning and afternoon breaks: $500
• Breakfast: $750
• Luncheon: $1,000

Companies interested in so doing can negotiate, with the Conference Manager, the publicity, advertising and “podium time” that they would like in return for their support and in keeping with the level of sponsorship selected. 

If you have questions on any of the above information, please contact: