Achievement Award Winners
2013 Award Recipients
Advanced Body Armor
The armor worn by our warfighters is the best that can possibly be given to them, but the top request is consistently to make it lighter. Army ManTech and the Defense-wide Manufacturing Science & Technology Program, DMS&T, jointly funded this project to develop, refine, and integrate technologies and multi-component assembly techniques to reduce weight and cost of advanced Body Armor. Results show that these initiatives reduced weights of Enhanced Small Arms Protective Inserts (ESAPI) from 7 pounds per sqft to 6.3 pounds per sqft, meeting a 10% weight reduction goal. Not only is that is a huge impact for the warfighter, but the project’s cost benefit of $71 M is an estimated 12 to 1 return on investment for ManTech dollars.

- Shawn M. Walsh - ARL, Agile Manufacturing Technology Team
- Lionel R. Vargas-Gonzalez - ARL, Agile Manufacturing Technology Team
- James Campbell - ARL, Ceramic and Transparent Armor Team
- James Q. Zheng - PM SOLDIER, Soldier Protection Individual Equipment
- Richard Palicka - CoorsTek Vista
- Steve Elliot - St. Gobain Ceramics
- Prashant Karandikar - M Cubed Technologies, Inc.
- Ross Hutter - Accudyne Systems Inc.
- Chad Griswold - 3M Ceradyne
- Robert Speyer - Verco LLC

Plate Edge Preparation Improvements (PEPI)
The team developed, implemented, and commercialized two types of mechanized plate edge and surface preparation tools designed to significantly reduce the time required to prepare large plates for welding, as well as worker injuries associated with conventional grinding tools. Although the technology can be used for a variety of applications, ship classes and processes, the two prototypes developed on the project are currently being used for DDG 1000 and DDG 51 Class ship construction at General Dynamics Bath Iron Works (BIW), and BIW is considering options to purchase additional tools commercially. The production rate demonstrated by the prototypes indicates potential savings of $2M to $4M on the cost of a modern surface combatant. For more information, Click Here.

- Lance Flitter - PMS 500 Program, Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock
- Gene Franke - Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock
- Stephen Davis- General Dynamics Bath Iron Works
- Philip Taylor - General Dynamics Bath Iron Works
- Kevin Roossinck - Huntington Ingalls Industries – Ingalls Shipbuilding
- Karl Kopija - E.H. Wachs
- Timothy G. Freidhoff - Navy Metalworking Center/Concurrent Technologies Corporation
- Al Baum- Navy Metalworking Center/Concurrent Technologies Corporation
- Paul Sleppy- Navy Metalworking Center/Concurrent Technologies Corporation
- Christopher Alexion - Navy Metalworking Center/Concurrent Technologies Corporation

Restoration of Aerospace Parts by Cold Spray
Several flight critical aerospace components made from of aluminum, titanium or magnesium alloys cannot be repaired using convention repair processes and must be removed from service, costing the DoD several million dollars in replacement parts. Many of these components have long lead times and in some cases, there are no replacement parts in inventory. Working in concert, the Navy, Army, and the OEMs (Applied Research Laboratory/Penn State (ARL/PSU), the Army Research Laboratory (Army ARL) and NAVAIR’s Pax River, FRC East, FRC South West) developed test protocols, validation and acceptance requirements, process procedures, and inspection requirements. The Cold Spray process has been implemented in Army, Navy, and Commercial facilities. Several aerospace components are currently being repaired include the B-1 FEB Panel, B-1hydraulic Lines, F/18 AMAD Transmission housing and the UH-60 magnesium gear box sump. Several other repairs are being developed transitioned upon validation.

- Dr. Timothy Eden - Applied Research Laboratory, Penn State
- Frederick Lancaster - Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR)
- Luc Doan - US Navy, FRC-SW North Island
- Conrad Macy - US Navy, FRC-SW North Island
- Robert Kestler - US Navy, FRC East
- Victor Champagne - US Army Research Laboratory
- Michael J. Kane - US Army AMRDEC
- Fernando R. Merritt - US Army AMRDEC
- William C. Harris Jr. – Sikorsky
- Bob Bierk - Moog Inc.
