Dr. Chen Lequn

1. Manager – Data Science

   American Express · Singapore

   Jan 2026 – Present

   Decision Science Centre of Excellence

   • Part of the Decision Science Centre of Excellence in Singapore, partnering with risk, product, and engineering stakeholders on AI-enabled decision-support initiatives.
   • Developing an internal Agentic Case Copilot for credit and fraud risk operations that synthesizes case context, highlights key drivers, and supports faster analyst investigation and decisioning.

2. AI/ML Computational Scientist

   Accenture · Singapore

   Apr 2025 – Jan 2026

   • Developed a hierarchical multi-agent orchestration layer that automates end-to-end Know-Your-Client (KYC) reviews for a top-tier Swiss banking client, linking document extraction, discrepancy analysis, and source-of-wealth corroboration. Introduced a supervisor-worker mechanism that breaks each case into sub-tasks, dispatches them to specialized agents, and consolidates the results.
   • Built a LangGraph-driven Agentic AI platform with a production-grade agent-to-agent (A2A) communication protocol — asynchronous messaging, thread-based workflow tracking, and interrupt/resume — coordinating 20+ specialized agents.
   • Implemented multi-stage LLM pipelines with advanced prompt engineering to extract structured data from unstructured financial and income documents, achieving >95% extraction accuracy.
   • Developed a scalable microservice architecture (Kubernetes) that deploys and auto-scales multi-agent systems for high efficiency and availability.
   • Built a unified audit-trail and compliance dashboard that logs every agent interaction, providing real-time traceability for regulators and internal audit teams.
   • Cut workflow latency 4× through parallel agent execution and smart queuing, reducing KYC cycle time from days to under 12 hours; reduced manual review effort by >80%, saving $1.2M in operational costs annually.

3. Research Scientist

   A*STAR Advanced Remanufacturing and Technology Centre (ARTC) · Singapore

   Apr 2024 – Mar 2025

   • Authored 4 technology disclosures with strong licensing and commercialization potential, and published 4 top-tier journal papers on AI-driven defect detection and manufacturing optimization.
   • Led a flagship project for the Sectoral AI Centre of Excellence for Manufacturing (AIMfg), building AI pipelines — object detection and OCR for 2D engineering-drawing information retrieval, and Graph Neural Networks for 3D CAD feature recognition — increasing overall accuracy by 20%.
   • Designed a Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) pipeline integrated with Neo4j knowledge graphs for manufacturability analysis, improving contextual and answer relevancy by 25%.
   • Fine-tuned Vision Language Models (Florence-2, Idefics3-8B-Llama3) for automatic manufacturing feature recognition, improving recognition accuracy by 30%.
   • Developed an adaptive robotic toolpath planning strategy for 3D printing of propeller blades (30% less deviation and waste), and a multi-modal audio-visual fusion network for real-time quality inspection (95% defect-detection accuracy).

4. Research Intern & PhD Research Attachment

   A*STAR Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology (SIMTech) · Singapore

   Aug 2019 – Mar 2023

   • Published 10+ top-tier journal papers as first/corresponding author, received 2 Best Paper Awards, and won first place in an international hackathon.
   • Designed a multi-modal data fusion method with novel deep learning architectures, integrating vision, acoustic, and thermal sensor data for defect detection in hybrid robotic additive manufacturing — 95% real-time detection accuracy.
   • Built a Robot Operating System (ROS)-based platform for in-process adaptive toolpath generation in 3D printing, enabling real-time correction of dimensional deviations.
   • Conducted machine-learning-assisted surrogate modeling and multi-objective optimization of a novel Fe-Ni-Ti-Al maraging steel using CALPHAD simulations.
   • Developed a data-driven adaptive control method for laser power modulation based on melt-pool size signals, improving defect mitigation and precision in laser additive manufacturing.

5. R&D Engineer (Part-time)

   Schaeffler Hub for Advanced Research at NTU (SHARE at NTU) · Singapore

   Jan 2020 – Dec 2020

   • Integrated the A* path-finding algorithm into AGV functionalities in Gazebo simulation using ROS, improving navigation efficiency and obstacle avoidance.
   • Designed collision-avoidance algorithms and QR-code recognition, improving navigation accuracy by 20% for mobile robots in dynamic scenarios.
   • Created a Qt-based GUI for communication between microprocessors and electric motor controllers, improving usability and control efficiency.

1. Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering

   Nanyang Technological University (NTU) · Singapore

   Aug 2021 – Oct 2024

   Robotic metal 3D printing · Multimodal deep learning

   • Thesis: Multi-sensor fusion for in-situ defect detection and adaptive quality enhancement in laser-directed energy deposition
   • Advisors: Prof. Moon Seung Ki (NTU), Dr Yao Xiling (NRF Singapore, A*STAR SIMTech), Dr Liu Kui (A*STAR SIMTech)
   • Scholarship: A*STAR Graduate Scholarship (AGS)

2. B.Eng. (Mechanical Engineering)

   Nanyang Technological University (NTU) · Singapore

   Aug 2017 – Jun 2021

   Honours (Highest Distinction) · CGPA 4.68 / 5.00

   • Specialisation: Robotics and Mechatronics
   • Advisors: Dr Yao Xiling, Prof. Moon Seung Ki

3. Semester Exchange (GEM Explorer Overseas Programme)

   Technical University of Denmark (DTU) · Copenhagen, Denmark

   Jan 2019 – Jun 2019

• 2023–24

  SIMTech & ARTC Best Student Award

• 2023

  1st Place, ASME IDETC-CIE 2023 Hackathon Autodesk challenge · 34 participants from 18 institutionsChallengeCode

• 2023

  Best Paper Award Int. Conference on Design for 3D Printing (ICD3DP)

• 2022

  Best Paper Award Int. Conference of Additive Manufacturing for a Better World (AMBW)Announcement

• 2021–25

  A*STAR Graduate Scholarship (AGS, PhD) Awardees

• 2020, 21

  Global Undergraduate Awards — Highly Commended, Engineering 20212020

• 2021

  Certificate of Distinction for Professional Internship

• 2021

  NTU Journal Publication Award (Q1 and Q2)

• 2020

  NTU URECA Undergraduate Research Excellence Award

• 2019

  3rd Place, DTU RoboCup Challenge

• 2018–20

  NTU President Research Scholar Merit (2018–19), Distinction (2019–20)

• 2018–19

  Dean's List, School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, NTU

• 2016–21

  Science & Engineering Undergraduate Scholarship (SM2), Singapore MOE

L. Chen = me ^* corresponding author ^# co-first author Citations: Google Scholar, Sep 2026

Selected publications

Submitted to Journal of Manufacturing Systems · 2026

Design-to-Plan: A Large Language Model-Based Multi-Agent Framework for Manufacturing Process Planning from 3D CAD Models and 2D Engineering Drawings

M.T. Khan, L. Chen^*, W. Feng, S.K. Moon

Corresponding authorPreprint arXiv

Virtual and Physical Prototyping · 2026

Characterisation and dripping anomaly detection in co-axial wire laser-directed energy deposition using acoustic emission

Y. Xie, L. Chen, Z. Wang, X. Wu, P. Chen, D.L.W. Wen, Y. Chew, A.S. Kumar

Q1IF 10.6 Open access PaperDatasetVideo

Robotics and Computer-Integrated Manufacturing · 2026

From Drawings to Decisions: A Hybrid Vision-Language Framework for Parsing 2D Engineering Drawings into Structured Manufacturing Knowledge

M.T. Khan, L. Chen^*, Z. Yong, J.M. Tan, W. Feng, S.K. Moon

 24 citationsQ1IF 11.4Corresponding author PaperarXiv

Materials Today · 2025

Additive manufacturing metallurgy guided machine learning design of versatile alloys

J. Su^#, L. Chen^#, S. Van Petegem, F. Jiang, Q. Li, J. Luan, S.L. Sing, J. Wang, C. Tan

 57 citationsQ1IF 21.1Co-first author Paper

Additive Manufacturing · 2025

Audio-visual cross-modality knowledge transfer for machine learning-based in-situ monitoring in laser additive manufacturing

J. Xie, M. Safdar, L. Chen^*, S.K. Moon, Y.F. Zhao

 36 citationsQ1IF 10.3Corresponding author PaperarXivDataset

Journal of Manufacturing Systems · 2024

In-situ process monitoring and adaptive quality enhancement in laser additive manufacturing: a critical review

L. Chen^*, G. Bi, X. Yao, J. Su, C. Tan, W. Feng, Y. Chew, S.K. Moon

 222 citationsQ1IF 14.2First & corresponding author PaperarXiv

Robotics and Computer-Integrated Manufacturing · 2023

Multisensor fusion-based digital twin for localized quality prediction in robotic laser-directed energy deposition

L. Chen, G. Bi, X. Yao, C. Tan, J. Su, N.P.H. Ng, Y. Chew, K. Liu, S.K. Moon

 178 citationsQ1IF 11.4First author PaperFull text

Additive Manufacturing · 2023

In-situ crack and keyhole pore detection in laser directed energy deposition through acoustic signal and deep learning

L. Chen, X. Yao, C. Tan, W. He, J. Su, F. Weng, Y. Chew, N.P.H. Ng, S.K. Moon

 150 citationsQ1IF 11First author PaperarXiv

ASME IDETC-CIE 2023

Multimodal Sensor Fusion for Real-Time Location-Dependent Defect Detection in Laser-Directed Energy Deposition

L. Chen, X. Yao, W. Feng, Y. Chew, S.K. Moon

 53 citationsFirst author arXivVideo

Virtual and Physical Prototyping · 2020

Rapid surface defect identification for additive manufacturing with in-situ point cloud processing and machine learning

L. Chen, X. Yao, P. Xu, S.K. Moon, G. Bi

 244 citationsQ1IF 10.6First author PaperVideoCode

Journal articles 20

1. J1

   Additive manufacturing metallurgy guided machine learning design of versatile alloys

   J. Su^#, L. Chen^#, S. Van Petegem, F. Jiang, Q. Li, J. Luan, S.L. Sing, J. Wang, C. Tan

   Materials Today · 2025

   IF 21.1Q1Co-first authorPaper
2. J2

   From Drawings to Decisions: A Hybrid Vision-Language Framework for Parsing 2D Engineering Drawings into Structured Manufacturing Knowledge

   M.T. Khan, L. Chen^*, Z. Yong, J.M. Tan, W. Feng, S.K. Moon

   Robotics and Computer-Integrated Manufacturing, Vol. 99, 103186 · 2026

   IF 11.4Q1PaperarXiv
3. J3

   Characterisation and dripping anomaly detection in co-axial wire laser-directed energy deposition using acoustic emission

   Y. Xie, L. Chen, Z. Wang, X. Wu, P. Chen, D.L.W. Wen, Y. Chew, A.S. Kumar

   Virtual and Physical Prototyping, Vol. 21, No. 1, e2653361 · 2026

   IF 10.6Q1 Open accessPaperDatasetVideo
4. J4

   Insights Into the Industrial Applications and Future Directions of Bulk Metallic Glasses Via Additive Manufacturing

   S.J. Park, S. Cho, N.P.H. Ng, J. Lee, J. Kim, S. Jeon, M.T. Khan, L. Chen, Q. Wu, S.K. Moon

   International Journal of Precision Engineering and Manufacturing · 2026

   Paper
5. J5

   Leveraging Vision-Language Models for Manufacturing Feature Recognition in CAD Designs

   M.T. Khan, L. Chen^*, Y.H. Ng, W. Feng, N.W.J. Tan, S.K. Moon

   ASME Journal of Computing and Information Science in Engineering (JCISE), Vol. 25, No. 10 · 2025

   PaperarXivDataset
6. J6

   Audio-visual cross-modality knowledge transfer for machine learning-based in-situ monitoring in laser additive manufacturing

   J. Xie, M. Safdar, L. Chen^*, S.K. Moon, Y.F. Zhao

   Additive Manufacturing, Vol. 101, 104692 · 2025

   IF 10.3Q1PaperarXivDataset
7. J7

   In-situ process monitoring and adaptive quality enhancement in laser additive manufacturing: a critical review

   L. Chen^*, G. Bi, X. Yao, J. Su, C. Tan, W. Feng, Y. Chew, S.K. Moon

   Journal of Manufacturing Systems, Vol. 74, pp. 527–574 · 2024

   IF 14.2Q1PaperarXiv
8. J8

   In-Situ Defect Detection in Laser-Directed Energy Deposition with Machine Learning and Multisensor Fusion

   L. Chen^*, S.K. Moon

   Journal of Mechanical Science and Technology, Vol. 38, No. 9 · 2024

   Paper
9. J9

   Recent Innovations in Laser Additive Manufacturing of Titanium Alloys

   J. Su, F. Jiang, J. Teng, L. Chen, M. Yan, G. Requena, L.-C. Zhang, Y.M. Wang, I.V. Okulov, H. Zhu, C. Tan

   International Journal of Extreme Manufacturing, Vol. 6, No. 3, 032001 · 2024

   IF 14.7Q1Paper
10. J10

    Laser additive manufacturing of titanium alloys: process, materials and post-processing

    J. Su, F. Jiang, J. Teng, L. Chen, G. Requena, M. Yan, L.-C. Zhang, Y.M. Wang, I.V. Okulov, G. Bo, H. Zhu, C. Tan

    Rare Metals, Vol. 43, No. 12, pp. 6288–6328 · 2024

    IF 8.8Q1Paper
11. J11

    Multisensor fusion-based digital twin for localized quality prediction in robotic laser-directed energy deposition

    L. Chen, G. Bi, X. Yao, C. Tan, J. Su, N.P.H. Ng, Y. Chew, K. Liu, S.K. Moon

    Robotics and Computer-Integrated Manufacturing, Vol. 84, 102581 · 2023

    IF 11.4Q1PaperFull text
12. J12

    In-situ crack and keyhole pore detection in laser directed energy deposition through acoustic signal and deep learning

    L. Chen, X. Yao, C. Tan, W. He, J. Su, F. Weng, Y. Chew, N.P.H. Ng, S.K. Moon

    Additive Manufacturing, Vol. 69, 103547 · 2023

    IF 11Q1PaperarXiv
13. J13

    A novel quality inspection method for aerosol jet printed sensors through infrared imaging and machine learning

    S.K. Moon, N.P.H. Ng, L. Chen, G.D. Ahn

    CIRP Annals – Manufacturing Technology, Vol. 72, No. 1, pp. 165–168 · 2023

    IF 4.1Paper
14. J14

    Machine Learning Customized Novel Material for Energy-Efficient 4D Printing

    C. Tan, Q. Li, X. Yao, L. Chen, J. Su, F.L. Ng, Y. Liu, T. Yang, Y. Chew, C.T. Liu, T. DebRoy

    Advanced Science, Vol. 10, No. 10, 2206607 · 2023

    IF 15.1Q1PaperCode
15. J15

    Key Enabling Technologies for Smart Factory in Automotive Industry: Status and Applications

    J. Lee, P.C. Chua, L. Chen, P.H. Ng, Y. Kim, Q. Wu, S. Jeon, J. Jung, S. Chang, S.K. Moon

    International Journal of Precision Engineering and Manufacturing – Smart Technology, Vol. 1, pp. 93–105 · 2023

     Best PaperPaper
16. J16

    Additive manufacturing of novel heterostructured martensite-austenite dual-phase steel through in-situ alloying

    J. Su, C. Tan, F.L. Ng, F. Weng, L. Chen, F. Jiang, T. Jie, Y. Chew

    Materials Today Communications, Vol. 33, 104724 · 2022

    IF 3.8Q2Paper
17. J17

    Progress in Machine-Learning-Assisted Process Optimization and Novel Material Development in Additive Manufacturing

    J. Su, L. Chen, C. Tan, Y. Chew, F. Weng, X. Yao, F. Jiang, J. Teng

    Chinese Journal of Lasers, Vol. 49, No. 14 · 2022

    Paper
18. J18

    In-process adaptive dimension correction strategy for laser aided additive manufacturing using laser line scanning

    P. Xu, X. Yao, L. Chen, C. Zhao, K. Liu, S.K. Moon, G. Bi

    Journal of Materials Processing Technology, Vol. 303, 117544 · 2022

    IF 6.3Q1PaperCode
19. J19

    Rapid surface defect identification for additive manufacturing with in-situ point cloud processing and machine learning

    L. Chen, X. Yao, P. Xu, S.K. Moon, G. Bi

    Virtual and Physical Prototyping, Vol. 16, No. 1, pp. 50–67 · 2020

    IF 10.6Q1PaperVideoCode
20. J20

    Data-driven adaptive control for laser-based additive manufacturing with automatic controller tuning

    L. Chen, X. Yao, Y. Chew, F. Weng, S.K. Moon, G. Bi

    Applied Sciences, Vol. 10, No. 22 · 2020

    IF 2.7Q2PaperVideo

Conference papers, chapters & preprints 21

1. C1

   Design-to-Plan: A Large Language Model-Based Multi-Agent Framework for Manufacturing Process Planning from 3D CAD Models and 2D Engineering Drawings

   M.T. Khan, L. Chen^*, W. Feng, S.K. Moon

   Submitted to Journal of Manufacturing Systems, arXiv:2608.24039 · 2026

   PreprintarXiv
2. C2

   Next-Layer Defects Forecasting in Laser Directed Energy Deposition Using Convolutional Long Short-Term Memory Autoencoder

   Y. Xie, L. Chen^*, Y. Chew, A.S. Kumar

   ASME IDETC-CIE 2025, Anaheim, CA, USA · 17–20 Aug

   Paper
3. C3

   Context-Aware Mapping of 2D Drawing Annotations to 3D CAD Features Using LLM-Assisted Reasoning for Manufacturing Automation

   M.T. Khan, L. Chen, et al.

   arXiv preprint · 2026

   PreprintarXiv
4. C4

   Large Language Model-Powered Decision Support for a Metal Additive Manufacturing Knowledge Graph

   M.T. Khan, L. Chen, et al.

   11th International Conference of the Asian Society for Precision Engineering and Nanotechnology (ASPEN 2025)

   arXiv
5. C5

   Fine-Tuning Vision-Language Model for Automated Engineering Drawing Information Extraction

   M.T. Khan, L. Chen, et al.

   9th International Conference on Innovation in Artificial Intelligence (ICIAI 2025)

   arXiv
6. C6

   A Multi-Stage Hybrid Framework for Automated Interpretation of Multi-View Engineering Drawings Using Vision Language Model

   M.T. Khan, L. Chen, et al.

   arXiv preprint · 2025

   PreprintarXiv
7. C7

   Automated Parsing of Engineering Drawings for Structured Information Extraction Using a Fine-tuned Document Understanding Transformer

   M.T. Khan, Z. Yong, L. Chen^*, J.M. Tan, W. Feng, S.K. Moon

   IEEE International Conference on Industrial Engineering and Engineering Management (IEEM 2025), pp. 91–95

   PaperarXiv
8. C8

   Automatic Feature Recognition and Dimensional Attributes Extraction from CAD Models for Hybrid Additive-Subtractive Manufacturing

   M.T. Khan, W. Feng, L. Chen^*, Y. Ng, N.Y.J. Tan, S.K. Moon

   ASME IDETC-CIE 2024, Boston, USA · 25–28 Aug

   PaperarXivHybridCAD datasetHybridCAD++ dataset
9. C9

   Single-Track Melt Pool Simulation in Robotic Laser-Directed Energy Deposition Under Speed Inaccuracy

   J. Kim, L. Chen^*, W. Feng, Y. Chew, S.K. Moon

   30th International Conference on Computational & Experimental Engineering and Sciences (ICCES 2024), Singapore · 3–6 Aug

10. C10

    Inference of Melt Pool Visual Characteristics in Laser Additive Manufacturing using Acoustic Signal Features and Robotic Motion Data

    L. Chen^*, Y. Chew, W. Feng, S.K. Moon

    10th International Conference on Control, Automation and Robotics (ICCAR 2024), Singapore

    PaperFull text
11. C11

    Additive Manufacturing for Automotive Industry: Status, Challenges and Future Perspectives

    L. Chen, N.P.H. Ng, J. Jung, S.K. Moon

    IEEE International Conference on Industrial Engineering and Engineering Management (IEEM 2023), Singapore · 19–23 Dec

    Paper
12. C12

    Adaptive Voxelization and Material-dependent Process Parameter Assignment for Multi-Material Additive Manufacturing

    Y. Xie, L. Chen^*, X. Yao, W. Feng, S.K. Moon

    IEEE International Conference on Industrial Engineering and Engineering Management (IEEM 2023), Singapore · 19–23 Dec

     Best Paper shortlistPaper
13. C13

    In-Situ Defect Detection in Laser-Directed Energy Deposition with Machine Learning and Multisensor Fusion

    L. Chen^*, S.K. Moon

    2nd International Conference on Design for 3D Printing (ICD3DP 2023), Jeju, Korea · 18–21 Oct

     Best Paper
14. C14

    Multimodal Sensor Fusion for Real-Time Location-Dependent Defect Detection in Laser-Directed Energy Deposition

    L. Chen, X. Yao, W. Feng, Y. Chew, S.K. Moon

    ASME IDETC-CIE 2023, Boston, USA · 20–23 Aug

    arXivVideo
15. C15

    Multisensor fusion-based digital twin in additive manufacturing for in-situ quality monitoring and defect correction

    L. Chen, X. Yao, K. Liu, C. Tan, S.K. Moon

    24th International Conference on Engineering Design (ICED 2023), Bordeaux, France · 24–28 Jul · Proceedings of the Design Society, Vol. 3, pp. 2755–2764

    PaperarXivVideo
16. C16

    In-Process Sensing, Monitoring and Adaptive Control for Intelligent Laser-Aided Additive Manufacturing

    L. Chen, X. Yao, P. Xu, S.K. Moon, W. Zhou, G. Bi

    Transactions on Intelligent Welding Manufacturing (TRINWM)

    Book chapterChapter
17. C17

    In-situ melt pool monitoring of laser aided additive manufacturing using infrared thermal imaging

    L. Chen, X. Yao, N.P.H. Ng, S.K. Moon

    IEEE International Conference on Industrial Engineering and Engineering Management (IEEM 2022), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia · 7–10 Dec

    Paper
18. C18

    Toolpath design for in-process surface defect correction in hybrid additive-subtractive manufacturing

    L. Chen, X. Yao, S.K. Moon

    International Conference on Design for 3D Printing (ICD3DP 2022), Singapore · 22–23 Sep

19. C19

    In-situ acoustic monitoring of direct energy deposition process with deep learning-assisted signal denoising

    L. Chen, X. Yao, S.K. Moon

    Materials Today Proceedings — 1st International Conference on Additive Manufacturing for a Better World, Singapore · 23–25 Aug · Vol. 70, pp. 136–142 · 2022

     Best PaperPaper
20. C20

    Surface Monitoring for Additive Manufacturing with in-situ Point Cloud Processing

    L. Chen, X. Yao, P. Xu, S.K. Moon, G. Bi

    6th International Conference on Control, Automation and Robotics (ICCAR 2020), Singapore · 20–23 Apr

    Paper
21. C21

    Heuristic Kinematics of a Redundant Robot-Positioner System for Additive Manufacturing

    P. Xu, X. Yao, L. Chen, K. Liu, G. Bi

    6th International Conference on Control, Automation and Robotics (ICCAR 2020), Singapore · 20–23 Apr

    Paper

1. 1

   PropelPath: High-Speed Directed Energy Deposition Toolpath Strategy for Propeller Manufacturing with Complex Geometries

   Technology disclosure1st inventor

2. 2

   An Acoustic-based In-Situ Monitoring Platform for Real-Time Process Monitoring and Defect Detection in Laser-Directed Energy Deposition

   Technology disclosure1st inventor

3. 3

   A method for laser power closed-loop feedback control with robot motion monitoring during DED process via optical sensor and infrared thermal measurement

   Technology disclosure

4. 4

   Integrated Multi-sensor Fusion and Machine Learning Platform for Localized Defect Detection in Laser-Directed Energy Deposition

   Technology disclosure1st inventor

• NTU MAE News · 2023MAE PhD student Chen Lequn wins first place in the ASME Computers and Information in Engineering (CIE) 2023 Hackathon
• NTU MAE News · 2022PhD student Chen Lequn wins Best Paper Award at the International Conference of Additive Manufacturing