EPRI director Lall honored for exceptional contributions to electronics manufacturing
Published: Dec 12, 2024 8:00 AM
By Jeremy Henderson
Pradeep Lall, the MacFarlane Distinguished Professor and Alumni Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, and the Director of the Auburn University Electronics Packaging Research Institute (EPRI), is the 2024 recipient of the Surface Mount Technology Association (SMTA) Founder’s Award. The Founder’s Award, SMTA's highest honor, recognizes members who have made exceptional contributions to the electronics manufacturing industry, and to the SMTA. The award was conferred at the 40th SMTA Conference in Rosemont, Illinois.
Lall's involvement in the SMTA spans nearly 30 years, during which he held various technical and leadership roles and authored or co-authored more than 70 papers published by the association. He also served as a technical committee member for several conferences, and is the founding faculty advisor of Auburn University's SMTA student chapter.
“The fun part of my day job is working with bright young minds," Lall said. "In addition to classes, I have had a chance to interact with members of Auburn's SMTA student chapter. We often talk about workforce development in the context of electronics manufacturing and assembly. Organizations such as the SMTA are currently making an impact on workforce development by outreach efforts that expose other students to manufacturing technologies."
Lall calls the chapter's work crucial "to the re-entrenchment of manufacturing in the United States."
The same could be said of his research, which has factored into electronics manufacturing advancements since his time at Motorola in the 1990s. His current research through EPRI focuses on the development of additive manufacturing methods for electronics intended for harsh environment operation, such as those used in automotive and defense applications.
“Today electronics manufacturing and assembly is done overseas," Lall said. "American factories that once manufactured high-volume electronics are a thing of the past. However, the need for domestic electronics manufacturing has never been greater."
Lall points to the global semiconductor chip shortage felt early during the COVID-19 pandemic as a perfect example.
"The ability to sustain current generation and develop next-generation electronics for defense relies on a domestic capability to manufacture and assemble electronics," Lall said. "Never before has the need for SMTA and the focus on manufacturing been greater as the United States looks to reestablish its capabilities to manufacture and assemble advanced electronics."
EPRI, which has a prototyping-line for the manufacturing of the additive fabrication of electronics, is on the frontlines of those efforts.
"The Founder’s Award is not only another testament to Dr. Lall’s reputation,” said Mario Eden, dean of engineering. “It also reflects just how integral EPRI’s work is to the needed resurgence of advanced electronics manufacturing in the United States."
Lall’s research in additive manufacturing was recently recognized with the SEMI FlexTech’s R&D Achievements Award in 2023. His research team also secured both first and third place in the Nasser Grayeli Best Poster Award category at INTERPACK 2024.
The latest kudo was equally gratifying.
“I’m honored to receive the SMTA Founder’s Award,” Lall said. “It was especially memorable to receive the award in the presence of a number of prior award winners, peers, friends and colleagues whom I have known for nearly three decades.”
Media Contact: , jdh0123@auburn.edu, 334-844-3591
Pradeep Lall (left) was presented with the Founder’s Award by Lockheed Martin's Tom Rovere at the 2024 SMTA International Conference.
