Dr Jim Rowley | Engineering, Environment and Computing

Dr Jim Rowley, has been involved in the design and optimisation of automotive, aerospace, food and drink factories, warehouses, production and horticulture systems since 1993. He holds an Engineering Doctorate (University of Warwick) awarded for the design of an innovative automated solution for harvesting mushrooms in a horticultural environment. The solution combined machine vision, laser, anthropomorphic flexible robotic arm, vacuum suction cup array and was integrated to harvest mushrooms within a simulated automated farm of the future.

In his previous role, Dr Rowley set up and managed a Research Team for Operations Management and Simulation at the Manufacturing Technology Centre, Coventry, UK. Outputs of the Research Team were used to advise Blue-chip companies and UK Government on Capital Expenditure decisions.  Experience prior to this was as Policies Manager at the Institute of Logistics and Transport, researching and advising the UK Government on new trends and technologies. The outputs of this experience, has manifested in numerous publications and public speaking outputs.

• Sharath Kumar, K.M., Narahari, H.K., and Rowley, J. (2012) ‘Development of Multi-Stage Supplier Performance Evaluation using DEA and Econometrics’. Research Journal of Management Sciences 1 (2), 8-14. 
• Rowley, J. (2009) Developing flexible automation for mushroom harvesting (Agaricus bisporus). Unpublished PhD thesis. Coventry: University of Warwick. Available from 
• Napier, R., Jones, P., and Rowley, J. (2005) ‘Labour Saving in Horticulture’. DEFRA (ROAME HH36)
• Department for Transport (2004) The Efficiency of Reverse Logistics. UK: Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport.
• Rowley, J., (2000) The Principles of Warehouse Design,2 ed., Rowley J, CILT Publishing, UK
• Duffill, R., Brooks, D., and Rowley, J. (1994) ‘Refining the cellular structure: A case study in factory relocation’. National Conference for Manufacturing Research. Held July 1994

• S-CONTACCT
  End-to-end supply chain able to deliver automotive discs and rollers using innovative cold rotary forging and enhanced grain flow hot forging processes. New process models and tools developed to optimise manufacturing techniques based on production cost and component functionality and definition the ideal manufacturing plant, process and facility layout.
• CASIM2
  Centre for Advanced Simulation & Modelling for Manufacturing
• Proving Factory
  Automotive manufacturing and assembly organisation, bridging the market gap between technology developers making innovative, low-carbon engineering prototypes and the needs of vehicle manufacturers for volume supply
• Meggitt Modular Modifiable Manufacturing (M4)
  Factory of the future - optimised use of state-of-the-art manufacturing equipment and integrated new technologies including: Big data and simulation for improved assembly and design.
• AMSCA
  Formulate a new sacrificial coating for corrosion protection of steel aero-engine components that is free from hexavalent chromium and demonstrate the technology to TRL5. In addition, improved, cost-effective application methodology will be developed, incorporating automation where appropriate, to increase manufacturing rate and capacity and reduce waste.