EWI’s Jerry Gould is Named as … BadAss Engineer?

It’s been true for a long time, but now it’s official…

Jerry Gould is a BadAss Engineer.

Valence Industrial, a contract manufacturer based in Ohio and Kentucky, has officially recognized EWI’s Senior Technology Leader for Resistance and Solid-state Welding for his lifelong achievements and contributions in a Valence profile series called #BadAssEngineers. Some people might think it is a dubious distinction, but it is truly an honor. At EWI, we’re proud to claim Jerry as one of our own.

Jerry then

In 1985, shortly after the founding of EWI, Jerry was discovered and hired as our first engineer. Ever since, he has served as a critical member of EWI’s senior technical team concentrating on forge welding activities. Jerry’s work involves understanding this class of processes at a fundamental level, then applying that knowledge to address specific industrial challenges. Jerry has experience across a range of industrial sectors, from automotive to aerospace to heavy manufacturing. He has published more than 170 papers, holds seven patents, and has authored 20 EWI Cooperative Research Reports. Jerry is also a Fellow of the American Welding Society and has received numerous awards for his contributions in engineering and manufacturing technology.

Congratulations to our long-term colleague, Jerry Gould – long may he continue to be a #BadAssEngineer!

Jerry now

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Introducing a New Coaxial Laser Wire DED Solution

Wire DED as a large-scale additive manufacturing method is highly promising, but until now there has not been an effective robotic system for wire delivery.

That has changed with the development of EWI’s coaxial laser wire DED solution which has demonstrated one of the highest build rates in AM.

You can learn about this project in a paper written by Eric Stiles, Stan Ream, Jacob Hay, and Craig Walters, High-Power Coaxial Wire Laser DED. To download the paper at no charge, simply complete the form on this page.

If you would like to learn more EWI’s coaxial laser wire DED system, contact Eric Stiles, Principal Engineer – Laser Welding, at [email protected].

To find out more about EWI’s additive manufacturing services, contact Howie Marotto at [email protected].

Complete this form to download the paper:

To view the paper, please submit the form above.


Want to contact an EWI expert about a project? Call 614.688.5152 or click here.

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Accelerating Product Development for Consumer Goods

Accelerating Product Development for Consumer Goods

Staying Competitive in an Era of Rapid Innovation and Evolving Demand

If your company makes consumer products, you are no doubt aware of several significant developments in recent years that have affected the industry as well as your ability to compete:

• Product performance requirements are increasingly higher or more stringent
• Advanced materials are dictating a need for new, improved processes
• Manufacturers are under increased pressure to reduce product design cycle time
• New talent and labor challenges are impacting growth

To stay ahead in a shifting market, today’s manufacturers must adapt, innovate, and partner effectively.

How can you ensure success in a continually changing environment? Ask EWI!
We have a proven record of helping our customers reduce risks, increase efficiencies, and expedite new process implementation. Here are some examples of how we do it:

Case Study #1
Getting the Right Part to Meet a Performance Requirement

A maker of electronic sensors needed a precision switch assembly from a supplier for a product. When the supplier stopped making the assemblies, the manufacturer had to develop its own assembly process to continue to fulfill customer orders. EWI was asked to review the component designs, materials, quality requirements, and production volumes. EWI worked with the manufacturer to select a resistance weld power supply, weld head, and electrodes appropriate for production, and then developed the welding process to meet all the product requirements. Having established the right equipment and process conditions, the sensor maker now makes, tests, and produces the welded components it needs to meet the increasing demands of its customers.

Case Study #2
Finding the Right Process for a New Component Material

A household tool manufacturer incorporated a new, plastic fuel tank into the design of an outdoor power tool. However, when the device was tested, the tank leaked. EWI diagnosed that the welding method being used to attach the tank could not accommodate slight variations in the dimensions of the supplied plastic part. By modifying the welding process to accommodate the polymer materials, the leakage incidence was significantly reduced to meet the product requirements.

Case Study #3
Reducing Production Cycle Time

A startup company engaged EWI’s plastics engineers for help in developing joint design options for a new home hygiene product. The polymer melt flow generated during welding was modeled using a computer aided design (CAD) approach to ensure that the joint gap would be completely filled with no excess melt escaping as flash. Based on the computer modeling, two joint designs were selected, then machined into the parts, welded, and tested. Having avoided a time-consuming trial-and-error process, the company was able to quickly implement the most robust design and joining process and move forward to high-volume production.

Case Study #4
Addressing Labor and Talent Challenges That Impact Growth

A U.S.-based computer manufacturer needed increase efficiency in its manual assembly workshop and redeploy its limited labor pool for its most critical operations. EWI conducted an onsite assessment of existing assets, procedures, and goals to identify technological solutions. Several process changes were identified to quickly enhance operations, and several repetitive tasks were automated. EWI redesigned product assembly cells utilizing collaborative robots to work alongside human co-workers who could now focus on tasks that required on-the-spot decision making and flexibility.


For a straightforward guide to creating high-quality products for mass production, download Designing Consumer Products for Manufacturability by completing the form below.
It’s free!

Download EWI’s guide to Designing Consumer Products for Manufacturability today:

To speak to an EWI associate now, call 614.688.5152.

Work with EWI

Understanding the applicability and tradeoffs between materials and joining technologies helps product developers make better choices and improve the likelihood of achieving the product’s performance, aesthetic, and ergonomic objectives. EWI’s technology and process experts can assist your team in developing your product design, identifying your technical challenges, and moving forward to production efficiently and successfully.

LET’S TALK. Contact EWI today to explore your options today.

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The Effects of Pressurized Hydrogen on Polymeric Elastomers

The hydrogen economy is forecasted to grow significantly. The infrastructure required to support its emergence means more materials will contact high pressure hydrogen as it is created, stored, transported, and used as a fuel. Seals, gaskets, and non-metallic pipelines are prime examples of polymers that hydrogen will readily encounter along its life cycle. Hydrogen is the smallest molecule, so it has fast transport properties. It can quickly diffuse into polymer materials up to their saturation level and cause swelling. Then, when the pressure is released (e.g., hydrogen is consumed or transferred), it causes supersaturation in the polymer. This leads to bubble nucleation and growth, causing irreversible damage to the polymer in the forms of micro-cracking, decrease in durometer, and embrittlement.

Manufacturers of hydrogen pumps, valves, pipelines, and storage vessels need to consider their polymer material selection carefully to avoid the use failures described above. Through pressurized hydrogen testing and polymer characterization, EWI has shown that some o-ring materials are susceptible to deleterious property changes.

As part of a larger hydrogen testing laboratory, EWI has constructed a high-pressure hydrogen testing system. Recently, this system was used to soak elastomeric o-rings in hydrogen at 21°C and 2400 psi for up to 72 hours. The o-rings were visible while at pressure through the vessel window, see Figure 1.

A picture containing metalware, metal

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Figure 1. O-rings in 2400 psi hydrogen.

The o-rings were characterized before and after hydrogen exposure for axial thickness, hardness, weight, tensile strength, and ultimate elongation. Our initial data showed:

  • axial thickness increased up to 34% (substantial swelling)
  • durometer decreased up to 8%
  • weight was unchanged
  • tensile strength decreased up to 35%
  • ultimate elongation decreased up to 55%  

The primary takeaway from this research is that these material property changes can cause leaks in industrial systems where o-rings are used to seal pressurize hydrogen, which is not only a revenue loss, but also a safety concern. To find out more about the effects of hydrogen on materials contact Jeff Ellis for polymers ([email protected]) and Josh James for metals ([email protected]).

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EWI and City of Lynchburg: A Unique Partnership to Promote Economic Development

The partnership between EWI and the City of Lynchburg, VA, is the only one of its kind in the country. With support from local government, the regional Office of Economic Development & Tourism works hand-in-hand with EWI to connect Lynchburg manufacturers with resources and talent to innovate and streamline operations.

EWI logo

“The unique partnership between the City of Lynchburg, Campbell County and EWI is generating great energy and excitement in companies seeking continuous improvement, the application of new technologies and streamlined operations,” said Marjette Upshur, Director of Economic Development & Tourism for the City of Lynchburg. “We are deepening the bench for our manufacturers to innovate.”

The Opportunity Lynchburg program grants EWI memberships to local manufacturers which enables them to access EWI’s vast array of data, industry experts, technical white papers, internal development research not found elsewhere. This unusual public/private program provides a way for companies to de-risk and ‘test drive’ innovative new practices with the benefit of EWI’s industrial experience and technical expertise.

As a result, companies in Lynchburg are pushing the boundaries of what they can create and reach new business goals.

To learn more about this successful program, click here.

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Introducing a new method of recycling industrial metal waste

Currently, recycling industrial scrap metal is expensive, messy, and inefficient. Nevertheless, the goal of reducing the 25 million tons of metal waste produced each year remains top priority in the manufacturing industry.

EWI has developed a new scrap metal recycling method that consolidates and extrudes a metal byproduct suitable for industrial re-use faster and in fewer steps than today’s conventional recycling process. Recently tested at EWI on Al-6061, the technique shows promise for other metals as well. The results of this work appear in a paper by EWI associates Drew Shipley and Michael Eff, Friction Extrusion of Aluminum.

To download this paper, simply complete and submit the form on this page.

To learn about further work planned to develop this recycling process, contact Drew Shipley at [email protected].

Complete this form to download the paper:

To view the paper, please submit the form above.


Want to contact an EWI expert about a project? Call 614.688.5152 or click here.

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Developing a Heat Treatment Method for Additively Manufactured IN718 Parts

Inconel 718 components produced using additive manufacturing (AM) generally require heat treatment to form strengthening precipitates and optimize the phase fractions of all precipitates. Work done at EWI has been focused on developing a heat treatment procedure specifically for AM-generated IN718 parts.

The results of this research are discussed in Optimization of the Post Heat Treatment of Additively Manufactured IN718, a paper writtenby Alber Sadek, EWI Senior Technology Leader – Materials. You can read the paper for free by completing the form on this page.

For more information about this specific project or EWI’s materials engineering services, contact [email protected].

Complete this form to download the paper:

To view the paper, please submit the form above.


Want to contact an EWI expert about a project? Call 614.688.5152 or click here.

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EWI Welcomes Grote Company to Membership

EWI is pleased to welcome Grote Company to membership. Grote Company manufactures food slicing and assembly equipment for optimized pizza, sandwich, and food slicing processes. Based in Columbus, Ohio, the company offers global service and manufacturing and partners with local distributors to meet industry needs.

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