The Association for Machines and Mechanism, India, is the national affiliate of the International Federation for the Promotion of Mechanism and Machine Science (IFToMM). IFToMM was started in the year 1969 with 13 member nations. Prof. J.S. Rao (IIT Kharagpur) and Prof B.V.A Rao (IIT Madras) represented India in the committee for preparing the draft constitution for IFToMM in 1969 in Bulgaria. In 1979 IFToMM announced that the sixth IFToMM international congress would be held at IIT Delhi in December, 1983. It was then felt that India should as a prelude hold atleast one conference exclusively devoted to Machines and Mechanisms. Hitherto these topics were part of the ISTAM conferences but it was felt that the topics merited exclusive attention. IIT Bombay took up this challenge and the first NaCoMM (NaCoMM 1981) was held in December, 1981. It was organized by Prof. C Amarnath. AMM was born on the last day of this conference at IIT Bombay and was registered as a Society as well as a Trust in Mumbai in 1984.
Two series of conferences alternating each other were planned and implemented. The NaCoMM series lay emphasis on theoretical aspects and experimental studies relating to machinery while IPRoMM series would deal with the engineering aspects. The NaCoMM series would be in odd years while the IPRoMM series would be in even years. The President of AMM would request academic institutions, research labs and industrial associations to assist in the organization of these conferences and workshops. Apart from these flagship events, AMM has also permitted institutions to hold courses and workshops.
The main objective of AMM is to contribute to mechanical design at all levels starting from academic research to industrial initiatives, thereby enhancing the quality and reliability of indigenous machines. AMM continues to hold conferences and workshops (both NaCoMM & IPRoMM as well as those of IFToMM) and supports the international activities of IFToMM. India is ably represented in IFToMM by AMM and many of our country’s scientists are on several IFToMM panels.
AMM is headed by a president, and a series of eminent academicians and engineers have occupied the presidential chair over the years. The IFToMM conference at New Delhi was piloted by Prof. J. S. Rao and Prof. B. V. A. Rao. In Dec. 1988 the headquarters of AMM was shifted to IIT Madras and Prof. B. V. A. Rao took over as president. AMM thrived at IIT Madras till 2020. During the transitions, some of the society registration documents were not traceable and hence a need for new registration arose.
On October 9, 2020, AMM was registered as a society at Bengaluru under the presidentship of Prof. C. Amarnath, with IISc Bangalore as the address for the same. The society registration number is DRB4/SOR/166/2020-2021.