Tim J. Nye

Tim J. Nye is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at McMaster University's Faculty of Engineering. He holds a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering (1997) from the University of Waterloo, following an M.Sc. (1989) at Ohio State and B.A.Sc. (1987) at Waterloo. His research focuses on applying operations research techniques to manufacturing systems, with specific expertise in optimization algorithms for sheet metal processes, hydroforming reliability, and adaptive control in forging.

Education:

• Ph.D. Mechanical Engineering, University of Waterloo (1997)
• M.Sc. Mechanical Engineering, Ohio State (1989)
• B.A.Sc. Mechanical Engineering, University of Waterloo (1987)

Research interests span multiple dimensions of advanced manufacturing: developing decision models for production investment, creating novel lot-sizing algorithms incorporating work-in-process costs, exact solutions for 2D nesting problems, and agent-based systems for reliability prediction using warranty data. His work bridges theoretical operations research with practical metal forming applications.

Recent publications demonstrate consistent contributions to manufacturing optimization, with particular focus on stamping processes, sheet metal design, and hydroforming reliability. These align with McMaster's research clusters in Advanced Materials & Manufacturing and Infrastructure. Scientific awards include the 2002 CSME Best Student Paper competition win for machine vision research with S. Dworkin.

He maintains active collaborations with industry partners, as evidenced by his research on industry-university R&D ventures. Current projects explore intelligent open die forging as a solid freeform fabrication method, demonstrating his commitment to both traditional manufacturing improvement and emerging rapid prototyping technologies.