Dr. İsmail Durgun received BSc degree in Mechanical Engineering from Uludag University, Turkey in 1988. He worked as research assistant for Uludag University, Turkey from 1989 to 1993. He received MSc degree in Mechanical Engineering from Istanbul Technical University, Turkey in 1991 with his thesis on “Transient Heat Transfer and Cooling Load in Building” and started PhD education in Mechanical Engineering in 1992. He received PhD degree with his dissertation on “The First and Second Law Analysis and Optimization of Energy Distribution in an Automobile Factory” from Uludag University, Turkey in 1999. He has several papers on thermodynamics, joker system, post-weld, hybrid material, and rapid prototyping. He has been working for TOFAS-FIAT since 1993 and he is the administrator of Prototype Production Department. He is experienced in automotive assembly lines, cost engineering, and body design. He teaches in Joint Graduate Programme of Torino Polytechnic and Uludag University on Automotive Engineering.

Serkan Ali Altınel received BSc degree in Mechanical Engineering from İstanbul Technical University, Turkey in 1999. He received MSc degree in Mechanical Engineering from Bogazici University, Turkey in 2004 with his thesis on “Semi solid forming of Al-5083 and A357 aluminum alloys”. He worked as injection mold designer between 2000 and 2004. He has experience in automotive plastic parts and injection molding technics. He started in TOFAS as a die design specialist in 2004. He has been working as a die design administrator for TOFAS since 2011. He participated in sheet metal feasibility, process, and die design for LCVs.

Erkan Aybaraz, born in 1979, received his college education at Gazi University in Ankara, Turkey, where he studied Tool & Die Teaching. Aybaraz started his career in tool & die industry in 2000 as die designer at Coşkunöz. He received his master degree from Mechanical Engineering Department of Uludağ University, Turkey in 2010. He has been working at TOFAŞ since 2006 as die project manager. In 2013, Aybaraz received his master of business administration degree from Istanbul Bilgi University, Turkey.

Ali Sakin received BSc degree in Mechanical Engineering from Uludağ University, Turkey in 2001. He started his professional carrier as project responsible and CAD/CAE consultant at an engineering company in 2001. He is also experienced in static structural FEM analysis, kinetic and kinematic analysis of mechanisms. He received MSc degree in Mechanical Engineering from Institute of Natural & Applied Sciences of Uludağ University, Turkey in 2004 on fluid dynamics with a dissertation dealing with “Vortex Effects on Heat Transfer over Flat Plates”. Since 2005 he has been working as a prototype production specialist for TOFAŞ (Turkish Automobile Factory, a Joint venture with FIAT). He started PhD education in Mechanical Engineering in 2011. During his carrier, he was engaged in passenger car, light commercial vehicle, electrical car, and EU projects and in addition he worked on low volume production methods and advanced manufacturing technologies in order to improve production development process of prototype workshop. He is currently taking part in prototype manufacturing studies for testing and development.

Sabri Erkan Polat received BSc degree in Mechanical Engineering from Istanbul Technical University, Turkey in 1986 then received MSc degree from University of Manchester Institute of Technology, UK in 1989 on Advanced Manufacturing Technology with a dissertation dealing with “Development of a workshop oriented CAD system”. After his degree he worked as a software development engineer in UMIST (UK). Then he started his professional carrier as design engineer in a state owned aluminum works. Since 1992 he has been working for TOFAŞ (Turkish Automobile Factory, a Joint venture with FIAT). During his professional career he extensively worked in die & press engineering and production. His experience concentrated on tool design and production for automobile sheet metal parts, project management, business and team development for die & stamping engineering, implementation of lean manufacturing tools. His recent responsibility is body design manager in Tofaş.