Founded in 1932 with 33 members, SME was originally named the Society of Tool Engineers. A year later, it was renamed the American Society of Tool Engineers (ASTE). From 1960-69 it was known as the American Society of Tool and Manufacturing Engineers (ASTME). It became the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME) in 1970. In 2012, the SME Board of Directors elected to adopt SME as the brand of the organization and therefore discontinue the use of its full legal name, the Society of Manufacturing Engineers. The organization is now referred to as SME.
