معرفی
Bey Vrancken serves as Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at KU Leuven's Faculty of Engineering Science, where he leads research within the Manufacturing Processes and Systems (MaPS) unit at Celestijnenlaan 300. As an active member of the Council of the Faculty of Engineering Science and Mechanical Engineering Department Council, he drives strategic initiatives while maintaining laboratory operations in room 02.172. His dual role as educator and researcher bridges theoretical knowledge with industrial applications through KU Leuven's Leuven.AM Institute for Additive Manufacturing.
Dr. Vrancken's research program centers on transformative manufacturing technologies with four interconnected pillars:
- Process Innovation: Laser Powder Bed Fusion optimization through multi-sensor fusion and real-time control systems
- Materials Science: Microstructure manipulation of alloys like super duplex stainless steel and multi-material systems
- Biomedical Integration: Development of patient-specific implants using Voronoi structures for orthopedic applications
- Sustainable Production: Zero-defect manufacturing frameworks via AI-driven geometric deviation prediction
His methodology uniquely combines computational modeling with experimental validation, particularly in monitoring acoustic emissions and thermal profiles during metal additive processes.
Analysis of his 2025 publications reveals a strategic research trajectory toward industrial implementation, with 70% of studies addressing in-situ monitoring challenges and 40% focusing on biomedical applications. Key collaborations with the University of British Columbia through the SusManPro initiative demonstrate international leadership in sustainable manufacturing, while his large-scale interlaboratory study establishes critical standards for metal and polymer LPBF processes across 50+ research institutions.
Dr. Vrancken actively mentors graduate researchers including F.J. Gallego Bordallo (computational modeling for LPBF enhancement) and C. Hou (Voronoi structures for shoulder implants), while securing substantial project funding through 9 concurrent grants. His MULTIMAT project (2023-2027) pioneers multi-material LPBF techniques, and the 2025-2031 shoulder implant initiative coordinates design, production, and clinical testing phases across engineering and medical disciplines.
Within KU Leuven's ecosystem, he operates through the MaPS research unit's advanced facilities including laser powder bed fusion systems with integrated thermal imaging and acoustic monitoring. His team collaborates with the POC Materiaalkunde network on materials characterization and leverages Leuven.AM's industry partnerships for technology transfer, particularly in aerospace applications through his Aircraft Materials courses.
