EWI is pleased to recognize Technical Fellow Stan Ream, recipient of the 2019 Frank A. DiPietro Award. Stan received the award at the annual Advanced Lasers Application Workshop (ALAW), held in early June in Plymouth, Michigan.

The award, established by the Fabricators & Manufacturers Association, International (FMA) in memory of ALAW Founder Frank A. DiPietro, is given each year to a person most exemplifying the vision, spirit, and determination that DiPietro demonstrated in bringing laser and robotics technology to transportation manufacturing.

Stan is a pioneer in the development of laser materials processing technologies. He is recognized internationally as an expert in industrial lasers, process development and analysis, and manufacturing systems design and performance. Starting in the 1970s with his participation in high-power laser welding development for the Air Force, Navy, and NASA, he has continued to contribute to a wide range of laser applications and production implementations. Through diverse employment experiences, including Sciaky Inc., Avco-VCO Everett Research Laboratories, IIT Research Institute, Battelle, Amada, GE FANUC, Worthington Industries (TWB), and EWI, Stan has gained a broad perspective on the technological and marketing force that have shaped the laser materials processing world. Currently, as EWI’s senior technology advisor for laser processing, Stan applies his expertise to help manufacturers apply laser technology to improve and optimize production processes.

Stan is a Fellow of the Laser Institute of America, as well as a Life
Member of both the American Welding Society and
the American Society of Mechanical
Engineers. He is a two-time recipient of EWI’s Technical Excellence Award
and hold eleven patents in laser and electron beam technologies.

Stan
Ream can be contacted at [email protected]. To
learn more about EWI’s laser processing capabilities, click here.

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Maintenance, repair, and
overhaul (MRO) operations are essential to sustain and extend the life of
numerous systems including aerospace, energy, defense, heavy equipment, and
railroad. Aircraft engine MRO alone is a $30B global industry, projected to grow
beyond $40B within five years. Overall, global aircraft MRO will exceed $100B
annually within the next few years.  As
the value of high-performance components increases, there is a strong and
growing financial incentive to find ways to repair rather than replace them.
Legacy repair methods are often not appropriate for newer designs, which
incorporate new materials and/or manufacturing methods, necessitating the
development of novel repair solutions.

On May 30^th, EWI hosted a day-long workshop to explore the need for a new Aerospace Maintenance, Repair & Overhaul Center of Excellence (AMRO CoE). The event attracted manufacturers, MRO service providers, and asset owners from across the country to discuss commercial industry and national defense needs. Afternoon breakout sessions identified priorities for the emergent center, which included technology development, maturation, and demonstration, as well as developing the new workforce needed to implement these solutions. The workshop included presentations from diverse stakeholders including industry (NetJets, GE Aviation), tech start-up (VeriTx), non-profits (Ohio Aerospace Institute, Wright State Research Institute), and three major university programs (University of Cincinnati, Ohio University, The Ohio State University).The workshop concluded with a roundtable discussion on findings and next steps.

AMRO CoE will
leverage resources from industry and government to build unmatched innovation
capabilities for both military and commercial MRO applications. It will be the first vertically integrated center
focused on repair technology and commercialization. By conducting translational development to advance the readiness of new
MRO technologies, the CoE will bridge the gap between academic research and
commercial applications, while helping to develop the workforce skills needed
to successfuly implement new MRO technologies. Ongoing activities will
include needs analysis, precompetitive research, applied development, supply
chain assistance, and workforce training. All AMRO CoE partners will have
access to the broad range of technical capabilities available through the
center.

The new center will be operated
as an initiative of EWI, with partners from the R&D and education
communities. The center is actively seeking additional partners.

For more information about AMRO CoE, contact Chris Conrardy at [email protected].

The post National Center of Excellence for Aerospace Maintenance & Repair Innovation is Planned appeared first on EWI.

The Additive Manufacturing Consortium: Cutting-edge Access to Applied R&D

By Mark Barfoot

Do you feel isolated within your company as you try to adopt metal additive manufacturing? Do you wish that you had access to cutting-edge research findings that could help accelerate the learning/adoption curve? EWI’s Additive Manufacturing Consortium (AMC) is a great place to get this knowledge. AMC member companies pool their membership fees to conduct pre-competitive research on high interest topics chosen by its members. In addition to receiving millions of dollars of research data each year, you are also able to take part in quarterly AMC meetings, learn directly from AM experts, and network with professionals who face similar challenges to your own.

AMC research projects for 2019 include:

1. An ongoing study of Inconel 625 & 718 with a focus of looking at the creep and fatigue resistance of the parts
2. A comparison of the various powder measurement techniques to identify all potential options and identify what technology provides the best comparable data for a specific type of powder
3. An exploration of the best parameters to use in Laser Power Bed Fusion (L-PBF) system for specific complex features (ie: bridges or thin walls)
4. An evaluation of all of the melt pool monitoring systems on the market and comparing the results from each
5. A examination NDE techniques work to see which are best for complex AM printed part geometries
6. An ongoing study of surface finishing techniques, focusing on how they improve fatigue resistance.
7. A comparison of “new” AM technologies and existing AM processes.

If you are interested in learning more about the AMC, please contact me at [email protected].  The next AMC meeting is July 24-25 in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, and will include tours of Protolabs and Stratasys.  We’d love to see you there.

Mark Barfoot is EWI Director of Additive Manufacturing Programs.

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Material variation in sheet metal can cause several problems when forming, including cracking, wrinkling, and springback. The key to minimizing these problems is to evaluate your material before production, gather the relevant data, and work within your variability parameters.

Accurately assessing the formability of a new or challenging material is not always easy, but it can be achieved. To help you understand how to evaluate your sheet metal, EWI Forming Center engineers Tom Feister and Laura Zoller have written The EWI Guide to Formability of New and Sophisticated Materials. This overview of best practices is available to download at no charge from EWI.

The EWI Forming Center helps manufacturers determine material formability and can provide recommendations for lubricants, coatings, and process parameters. For more information, contact [email protected] or call 614.688.5152.

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