UC Spark

Dr Dirk John Pons

Mechanical Engineering

Phone: +64 3 364 2987 ext. 7214
 Office: Mechanical Engineering E527

Fields of Research

  • Manufacturing, production, Lean, and operational engineering
  • Engineering design, new product development (NPD)
  • Risk management and reliability engineering
  • Project management practice and application to novel areas
  • Engineering management, knowledge managment, innovation, entrepreneurship, management processes, governance, strategic risk management
  • Biomedical Engineering, Clinical Engineering, Biomechanics
  • Lean and JIT systems, productivity and process optimisation
  • System modelling of enterprise processes
  • Collaborative research projects with industry, on particular topics
  • Design cognition and lateral thinking
  • Human error in technology situations, and the underlying cognition

Researcher Summary

Manufacturing, production, and operational engineering
Engineering design
Risk and reliability
Project management
Engineering management
Biomedical Engineering, Clinical Engineering, Biomechanics

Subject Area: Disciplines

Research Projects

Research Groups

Future Research

  • Lean inventory and just in time manufacture (JIT)
  • New product development (NPD)

Key Methodologies

  • Probabilistic methods
  • Qualitative modelling of individual and organisational processes
  • Physical test and measurement
  • Statistical methods for qualitative data

Equipment

Affiliations

Publications


  • Lawry, K. and Pons, D.J. (2013) Integrative Approach to the Plant Commissioning Process. Journal of Industrial Engineering 2013(572072): 1-12. http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2013/572072. (Journal Article)
  • Pearce, A. and Pons, D. (2012) Risk in Implementing Lean Practices: Lean manufacturing as a strategic business transformation. Te Papa, Wellington, New Zealand: New Zealand Society for Risk Management, 6-7 Sep 2012. (Conference Contribution - Oral presentation)
  • Hoegel, B., Pons, D., Gschwendtner, M. and Sellier, M. (2012) Theoretical investigation of the performance of an Alpha Stirling engine for low temperature applications. Dubrovnik, Croatia: 15th International Stirling Engine Conference (ISEC), 10-22 and 27-29 Sep 2012. (Conference Contribution - Oral presentation)
  • Pons, D.J., Pons, A.D., Pons, A.M. and Pons, A.J. (2012) Wave-particle duality: A conceptual solution from the cordus conjecture. Physics Essays 25(1): 132-140. http://dx.doi.org/10.4006/0836-1398-25.1.132. (Journal Article)
  • Pons, D., Bayley, G., Laurenson, R., Hunt, M., Tyree, C. and Aitchison, D. (2012) Wire fencing (part 1): Determinants of wire quality. The Open Industrial & Manufacturing Engineering Journal 5(5): 19-27. http://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1874152501205010019. (Journal Article)
  • Pons, D. (2011) Postgraduate research through the production lens. Journal of Adult Learning Aotearoa New Zealand 39(1): 66-89. (Journal Article)
  • Pons, D.J. (2007) New director in the chair. Wellington, New Zealand: Project Management Institute New Zealand National Conference 2007 (PMINZ), 17-19 Oct 2007. (Conference Contribution - Full conference paper)
  • Pons, D. (2006) Does Reduced Uncertainty Mean Greater Certainty? Christchurch, New Zealand: Project Management Institute of New Zealand Conference (PMINZ), 4-6 Oct 2006. (Conference Contribution - Paper in published proceedings)
  • Pons, D. (2006) Is Project Management the Perfect Fit? Christchurch, New Zealand: Project Management Institute of New Zealand Conference (PMINZ), 4-6 Oct 2006. (Conference Contribution - Paper in published proceedings)
  • Pons, D. (2006) PERT with MS Project. Christchurch, New Zealand: Project Management Institute of New Zealand Conference (PMINZ), 4-6 Oct 2006. (Conference Contribution - Paper in published proceedings)
  • Pons, D.J. and Raine, J. (2005) Simulation of key performance characteristics under uncertainty. Journal of Engineering Manufacture 219(1): 151-162. (Journal Article)
  • Pons, D.J. (2004) Design for uncertainty. Melbourne, Australia: Design Research Society International Conference, 'Futureground', 17-21 Nov 2004. (Conference Contribution - Oral presentation)
  • Pons, D.J. and Raine, J. (2004) Design with uncertain qualitative variables under imperfect knowledge. Journal of Engineering Manufacture 218(8): 977-986. (Journal Article)
  • Pons, D.J. (2004) Managing Columbia to disaster. E.NZ Magazine (IPENZ) 5(1 (Jan/Feb 2004)): 16-19. (Journal Article)
  • Pons, D.J. and Raine, J. (2004) Re-engineering New Zealand tertiary education. Auckland, New Zealand: Association for Engineering Education in Southeast and East Asia and the Pacific Mid-term Conference 2004, 6-7 Dec 2004. (Conference Contribution - Paper in published proceedings)
  • Pons, D.J. (2003) Charting early design stages. Christchurch, New Zealand: Project Management Institute NZ Conference, 6-7 Nov 2003. (Conference Contribution - Paper in published proceedings)
  • Pons, D. J. (2003) Lost on re-entry: the Columbia disaster. e.nz magazine, Institute of Professional Engineers New Zealand (IPENZ) 4(6 (Nov/Dec 2003)): 16-20. (Journal Article)
  • Pons, D.J. and Raine, J. (2003) Relative effectiveness of mechanisms for simulating uncertainty in quantitative systems. Journal of Engineering Manufacture 217: 531-540. (Journal Article)
  • Raine, J., Pons, D.J. and Whybrew, K. (2001) The design process and a methodology for system integrity. Journal of Engineering Manufacture 215: 569-576. (Journal Article)
  • Raine, J., Pons, D.J. and Whybrew, K. (2001) The Methodology for System Integrity in Design. Glasgow, UK: International Conference on Engineering Design ICED 01, 21-23 Aug 2001. In Proceedings of the International Conference on Engineering Design ICED 01 569-576. (Conference Contribution - Paper in published proceedings)
  • Pons, D.J., Vaughan, C.L. and Jaros, G.G. (1989) Cycling device powered by the electrically stimulated muscles of paraplegics. Medical and Biological Engineering and Computing 27(1): 1-7. (Journal Article)
  • Pons, D. (1989) Mechanics of cycling. In C.L. Vaughan (Ed.), Biomechanics of Sport: 289-315. Boca Raton: CRC Press. (Chapter in Book)
  • Jaros, G., Boonzaier, D. and Pons, D. (1988) Rehabilitation of the disabled. South African Journal of Science 84: 219-220. (Journal Article)