About LURPA

A laboratory spanning the Paris Region

The University Research Laboratory in Automated Production (LURPA) is specific to the Ecole Normale Superieure de Cachan institution. Created in 1981 by Pierre Bourdet and Guy Gautherin, the laboratory has held the status of a French Research Ministry Host Team (EA 1385 designation) since 1994.

Following an initial period during which research work dealt primarily with problems related to flexible production (automation of flexible production cells, automatic generation of machining schedules, design of logistics systems, etc.), the laboratory's scientific activity has gradually become focused on two of its core areas of research: control of the geometric quality of mechanical parts and mechanisms, and engineering of automated systems.

LURPA naturally calls upon the pool of instructor-researcher resources the ENS de Cachan's Mechanical Engineering Department has to offer, but it also receives instructors-researchers from other Paris Region institutions of higher learning (University of Paris XI, University of Paris XIII, CNAM, ISMCM). Laboratory staff now includes 4 University Professors and 8 Associate Professors, all affiliated with the 60th and 61st sections of the national CNU council. These permanent staff members, assisted by several adjunct or temporary research personnel and 3 technicians and administrative employees, oversee the work of some ten Ph.D. students.

• LURPA Organizational chart