Enkhsaikhan "EK" Boldsaikhan, Dr.

Overview

Dr. Boldsaikhan is an Associate Professor of Industrial, Systems, and Manufacturing Engineering.  He teaches courses on industrial robotics, automation, applied control systems, cyber physical systems, and smart manufacturing.  His research focuses on manufacturing systems and processes, artificial intelligence, industrial robotics, automation, and sensor fusion.

Academic Interests and Expertise

Education

• B.Sc. in Computer Science, Mongolian University of Science & Technology
• M.Sc. in Computer Science, South Dakota School of Mines & Technology
• Ph.D. in Materials Engineering & Science, South Dakota School of Mines & Technology

Publications

• P. Singh, K. Krishnan, E. Boldsaikhan (2026), “A Review of Production Scheduling with Artificial Intelligence and Digital Twins,” Journal of Manufacturing and Materials Processing, 10(1), 6, 2026; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmmp10010006 
• G. LeMay, E. Boldsaikhan (2025), “Defect Detection via Through-Transmission Ultrasound Using Neural Networks and Domain-Specific Feature Extraction,” Journal of Manufacturing and Materials Processing, 9(8), 271, 2025; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmmp9080271 
• E. Boldsaikhan, C. Birney (2025), “Optimal Realtime Toolpath Planning for Industrial Robots with Sparse Sensing,” Actuators, 14(6), 279, 2025; https://doi.org/10.3390/act14060279 
• G. LeMay, E. Boldsaikhan (2025), “Detection of Release Fabric Defects in Fiber-Reinforced Composites Using Through-Transmission Ultrasound,” Journal of Manufacturing and Materials Processing, 9(3), 94, 2025; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmmp9030094 
• G. Ambaye, E. Boldsaikhan, K. Krishnan (2025), “Soft Robot Workspace Estimation via Finite Element Analysis and Machine Learning,” Actuators, 14(3), 110, 2025; https://doi.org/10.3390/act14030110 
• G. Ambaye, E. Boldsaikhan, K. Krishnan, “Soft Robot Design, Manufacturing, and Operation Challenges: A Review,” Journal of Manufacturing and Materials Processing, 8(2), 79, 2024;
  https://doi.org/10.3390/jmmp8020079 
• G. Ambaye, E. Boldsaikhan, K. Krishnan, “Robot arm damage detection using vibration data and deep learning,” Neural Computing and Applications, 36, 1727–1739, 2024; https://doi.org/10.1007/s00521-023-09150-3 
• E. Boldsaikhan, M. Milhon, S. Fukada, M. Fujimoto, K. Kamimuki,
  “Metrology of Sheet Metal Distortion and Effects of Spot-Welding Sequences on Sheet Metal Distortion,” Journal of Manufacturing and Materials Processing, 7(3), 109, 2023; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmmp7030109 
• H. Eskandaripour, E. Boldsaikhan, “Last-Mile Drone Delivery: Past, Present, and Future,” Drones, 7(2), 77, 2023; https://doi.org/10.3390/drones7020077
• G. Lakshmi Balasubramaniam, E. Boldsaikhan, G.F. Joseph Rosario, S.P. Ravichandran, S. Fukada, M. Fujimoto, K. Kamimuki, “Mechanical Properties and Failure Mechanisms of Refill Friction Stir Spot Welds,” Journal of Manufacturing and Materials Processing, 5(4), 118,  2021; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmmp5040118 
• S. Emmanuel, Y. Yihun, Z. Nili Ahmedabadi, E. Boldsaikhan, “Planetary gear train microcrack detection using vibration data and convolutional neural networks,” Neural Computing & Applications, 33, pp. 17223–17243, 2021; https://doi.org/10.1007/s00521-021-06314-x 
• E. Boldsaikhan, “Measuring and Estimating Rotary Joint Axes of an Articulated Robot,”
  IEEE Transactions on Instrumentation and Measurement, vol. 69, no. 10, pp. 8279-8287, Oct. 2020; https://doi.org/10.1109/TIM.2020.2991278
• G. Lakshmi Balasubramaniam, E. Boldsaikhan, S. Fukada, M. Fujimoto, K. Kamimuki,
  “Effects of Refill Friction Stir Spot Weld Spacing and Edge Margin on Mechanical Properties of Multi-Spot-Welded Panels,” Journal of Manufacturing and Materials Processing, 4(2), 55,  2020; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmmp4020055
• F. Baratzadeh, E. Boldsaikhan, R. Nair, D. Burford, H. Lankarani, “Investigation of Mechanical Properties of AA6082-T6/AA6063-T6 Friction Stir Lap Welds,” Journal of Advanced Joining Processes, Volume 1, p. 100011, 2020, ISSN 2666-3309;
  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jajp.2020.100011 
  
• E. Boldsaikhan, S. Fukada, M. Fujimoto, K. Kamimuki, H. Okada, “Refill friction stir spot welding of surface-treated aerospace aluminum alloys with faying-surface sealant,”
  Journal of Manufacturing Processes, vol. 42, pp. 113-120, 2019; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmapro.2019.04.027
• E. Boldsaikhan, S. Fukada, M. Fujimoto, K. Kamimuki, H. Okada, “Refill Friction Stir Spot Joining for Aerospace Aluminum Alloys,” in Y. Hovanski et al. (eds) Friction Stir Welding and Processing IX, pp. 237-246, Springer, Cham., 2017; https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-52383-5_23 
• E. Boldsaikhan, S. Fukada, M. Fujimoto, K. Kamimuki, H. Okada, et al., “Refill Friction Stir Spot Joining Rivet Replacement Technology,” SAE Technical Paper 2016-01-2130, SAE International, 2016; https://doi.org/10.4271/2016-01-2130 
• A. B. Handyside, V. Iyer, R. Preston, E. Boldsaikhan, M. McCoy, “Process Developement of Integral Fasteners Using Friction Stir Spot Welding With “C-Frame” End Effector on an Aircraft Cabin Door Made From AA6061-T6 and AA2024-T3,” in R. Mishra et al. (eds) Friction Stir Welding and Processing VII, pp. 215-224, Springer, Cham., 2013; https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-48108-1_22 
• E. Boldsaikhan, M. McCoy, “Analysis of tool feedback forces and material flow during friction stir welding,” in R. Mishra et al. (eds) Friction Stir Welding and Processing VII, pp. 311-320, Springer, Cham., 2013; https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-48108-1_32 
• D. Burford, E. Boldsaikhan, and A. Wiley, “Early detection of volumetric defects using e-NDE during friction stir welding,” in 9th International Friction Stir Welding Symposium. The Von Braun Center, Huntsville, Alabama, 2012.
• E. Boldsaikhan and D. Burford, “Generalized e-NDE algorithm for friction stir welding,” in Proceedings of the 9th International Symposium on Friction Stir Welding, The Von Braun Center, Huntsville, Alabama, 2012.
• E. Boldsaikhan, E. M. Corwin, A. M. Logar, and W. J. Arbegast, “The use of neural network and discrete Fourier transform for real-time evaluation of friction stir welding,”
  Applied Soft Computing, vol. 11, no. 8, pp. 4839-4846, 2011; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asoc.2011.06.017
• E. Boldsaikhan, D. A. Burford, and P. Gimenez, “Effect of plasticized material flow on the tool feedback forces during friction stir welding,” in R. Mishra et al. (eds) Friction Stir Welding and Processing VI, pp. 333-343, Wiley, 2011; https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118062302.ch39 
• D. Burford, P. G. Britos, E. Boldsaikhan, and J. Brown, “Evaluation of friction stir weld process and properties for aerospace application: e-NDE for friction stir processes,” in 6th annual technical review meeting, FAA Joint Advanced Materials & Structures (JAMS), 2010.
• E. Boldsaikhan, A. Logar, and E. Corwin, Real-Time Evaluation in Friction Stir Welding: The Use of Feedback Forces for Nondestructive Evaluation of Friction Stir Welding, Lambert Academic Publishing, 2010.
• E. Boldsaikhan, J. Bharat, A. Logar, E. Corwin, M. Janes, and W. Arbegast, “A phase space approach to detecting volumetric defects in friction stir welding,” in the Proceedings of the 8th International Friction Stir Welding Symposium, Timmendorfer Strand, Germany, 2010.
• M. Janes, E. Boldsaikhan, E. Corwin, and A. Logar, “A Graphical User Interface for Analysis of Friction Stir Welds,” presented at the Midwest Instruction and Computing Symposium, 2009.
• E. Boldsaikhan, E. Corwin, A. Logar, J. McGough, W. Arbegast, and A. Center, “Detecting wormholes in friction stir welds from welding feedback data,” in the Proceedings of 
  Midwest Instruction and Computing Symposium, 2009.
• E. Boldsaikhan, “The use of feedback forces for nondestructive evaluation of friction stir welding,” Doctoral Dissertation, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, Rapid City, 2008.
• A. Logar, E. Corwin, E. Boldsaikhan, D. Woodward, and W. Arbegast, “Applications of artificial intelligence to friction stir welding,” in the Proceedings of National Conference on Recent Advancements in Information Technology, 2007.
• E. Boldsaikhan, W. Corwin, A. Logar, J. McGough, and W. Arbegast, “Phase space analysis of friction stir weld quality,” in the Proceedings of the Symposium on Friction Stir Welding and Processing IV, pp. 101-112, Orlando, Florida, USA, Feb. 2007.
• E. Boldsaikhan, E. Corwin, A. Logar, and W. Arbegast, “Neural network evaluation of weld quality using FSW feedback data,” in the Proceedings of the 6th International Symposium on Friction Stir Welding, Saint-Sauveur, Nr Montreal, Canada, 10-12 October 2006.

Working Papers

• C. Birney, E. Boldsaikhan, “Reinforcement Learning for Robot Tool Motion Control,” In-progress, 2026.

Professional Experience

Prior Experience

• Research scientist / engineer, National Institute for Aviation Research, Wichita State University
• Adjunct robotics instructor, Wichita State University Campus of Applied Sciences and Technology

Additional Information

RESEARCH TEAM

Current Graduate Students

• Michael Milhon
• Cole Birney

Past Graduate Students

• Gary Lemay, PhD, 2025
• Getachew Ambaye, PhD, 2025
• Harshal Wagh, MS Project, 2025
• Hossein Eskandaripour, PhD, 2024
• Rahul Raj Indla, MS Project, 2024
• Daniel Fernandez-Cano, MS Thesis, 2024
• Nirmal Kumar Sekar, MS Thesis, 2023
• Juwan Badathuruge Dinusha De Silva, MS Project, 2022
• Guruvignesh Lakshmi Balasubramaniam, PhD, 2021
• Rekha Gouda Kulkarni, MS Thesis, 2021
• Vinoth Kumar Veeraraghavan, MS Thesis, 2021
• Logeshwar Pounraj, MS Project, 2021
• Sanjay Kumar Madras Karunamurthy, MS Thesis, 2020
• Gratias Fernandez Joseph Rosario, MS Thesis, 2019
• Saravana Prabu Ravichandran, MS Thesis, 2019