NEW YORK, Aug. 15, 2008 – Dr. Wolfgang Backé, a resident of Aachen, Germany, and emeritus professor at Rheinisch-Westfalische Technische Hochschule Aachen, will be honored by ASME for leadership and distinguished contributions to fluid power and motion control, including the establishment of one of the world’s largest and renowned research laboratories in the field of fluid power.  He will receive the Society’s 2007 Robert E. Koski Medal.

The medal recognizes an individual who has advanced the art and practice of fluid power motion and control through education and/or innovation.  It will be presented to Backé during the Bath/ASME Symposium on Fluid Power and Motion Control being held in Bath, UK, Sept. 10 through 12.

Dr. Backé began his career as a research officer at the Institute for Machine Tools at Rheinisch-Westfalische Technische Hochschule (RWTH) Aachen in 1955.  He served as a senior research officer in the automation group (1960-62) before joining the Institute for Machine Tools at the University of Karlsruhe, Germany, as deputy director (1962-63).  After working as development manager at a renowned machine tool company (1964-68) Backé rejoined RWTH Aachen and spent the next 26 years as professor and director of fluid power transmission and control on the faculty of mechanical engineering; since 1994 he is emeritus professor.

In 1968 he established the Institute for Fluid Power Drives and Controls (IFAS), which has become one of the world’s largest and most distinguished research laboratories in the field of fluid power.  His efforts attracted scholars and researchers from many countries, resulting in a strong international research exchange program and the first university/industry cooperative research program in fluid power in Germany.

His main activities as full/emeritus professor have included the promotion of 120 doctorate students; service as dean of the faculty of mechanical engineering (1974-75); organizing a biennial conference, Aachener Fluidtechnisches Kolloquium, since 1974; publishing scientific journals, eight books and journal papers and conference transactions; establishing partnerships with foreign countries; and organizing quarterly discussions (1994-2004) with experts from industry.  He holds four U.S. patents and two European patents.

He was an honorary professor at the Technical University of Taiyuan (1981) and the Technical University of Hangzhou (1989) in China.

Backé earned his Dipl.-Ing. in mechanical engineering at RWTH Aachen in 1955 and his Dr.-Ing. at the Institute of Machine Tools at RWTH Aachen in 1959.  In 1962 he completed his postdoctoral thesis to qualify as a university lecturer.  He holds honorary doctorates from the University of Tampere, Finland; the University of Linköping, Sweden; and the University of Bath, UK.

Founded in 1880 as the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, ASME is a not-for-profit professional organization promoting the art, science and practice of mechanical and multidisciplinary engineering and allied sciences.  ASME develops codes and standards that enhance public safety, and provides lifelong learning and technical exchange opportunities benefiting the global engineering and technology community.

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