Benatar, Avi

Biography

Avraham (Avi) Benatar is a Professor of Welding Engineering within the Department of Materials Science and Engineering and Director of the Plastics and Composites Joining Laboratory. He is also the Coordinator of the Welding Engineering Distance Education Master of Science program and Faculty Director of the College of Engineering Master of Global Engineering Leadership.

Dr. Benatar teaches in the areas of joining of plastics and composites and welding design.

Education

Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

S.M. in Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

S.B. in Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Honors, appointments and awards

  • Fellow - Society of Plastics Engineers (2003)
  • Lady Davis Visiting Associate Professor Fellowship - School of Mechanical Engineering at the Technion – Israel Institute of Tehnology (1998-99)
  • American Welding Society Adams Memorial Award (1992)
  • National Science Foundation Presidential Young Investigator Award (1990)
  • Chairman and U.S. Delegate to the International Institute for Welding Commission 16 on plastics welding and adhesive bonding tehchnology (1997 to 2003)
  • Dr. Benatar founded and was the first chairman of the American Welding Society G1 Committee on Joining of Plastics and Composites. 
  • One of founding members of and Chairman and Technical Program Chairman of the Society of Plastics Engineers Special Interest Group on Joining of Plastics and Composites

Expertise

Research

His research interests include adhesive bonding and mechanical joining of plastics and composites, fundamentals of plastics and composites welding, optimization and control of welding processes, development of new welding methods, design of welded joints in plastics and composites including the use of moiré and speckle interferometry for residual stress measurement, ultrasonic processing of materials, welding design, modeling of brazed joints, and fitness-for-service.

Publications

He has more than 100 refereed publications, has co-authored one book and co-edited a handbook.