RAPID CITY, S.D.
(Aug. 26, 2015) – Airbus Americas has donated an A320 elevator valued at
$500,000 to the South Dakota School of Mines & Technology. The 20-foot-long
part designed for flight control on the aircraft’s tail will be used to support
education and cold-spray research at SD Mines.
The university is
a leader in cold-spray technology, which accelerates metal powders through a
supersonic nozzle at rifle speeds to build up metal onto surfaces. Elevators
damaged during operation are not always cost effective to repair. Christian
Widener, Ph.D., director of the university’s Arbegast Materials Processing
& Joining Laboratory, says his research team will help address this need by
identifying projects geared toward researching cold-spray repair of aircraft
flight control surfaces.
“Airbus is proud
to donate this A320 elevator to the South Dakota School of Mines &
Technology,” said Barry Eccleston, president of Airbus Americas. “Because the
elevator will be used for teaching and research at the school, Airbus views
this donation as an investment in our future, and in the future of engineering
and science in South Dakota and the U.S.”
Widener, who
serves as an associate mechanical and metallurgical engineering professor, says
the donation will also be used as a teaching tool, so students gain familiarity
with industry equipment. He plans to make a demonstration piece out of part of
the elevator to show students the components of a finished aircraft part.
“The South Dakota
School of Mines & Technology has been a leading institution in science and
engineering for more than 100 years,” said U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), whose
office helped facilitate the donation. “This generous donation is an example of
how public-private partnerships can help education young men and women for
careers that meet the demands of today’s rapidly evolving economy.”
“Mines has done
exceptional work for the Air Force, developing new techniques to repair
expensive metal parts rather than replace them. We appreciate Senator Thune
making this connection so that we can expand opportunities for research,” said
Heather Wilson, president of South Dakota Mines.
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About SD Mines
Founded in 1885, the South Dakota School of Mines & Technology
is a science and engineering research university located in Rapid City, S.D.,
offering bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees. The university enrolls
2,798 students from 45 states and 39 foreign countries, with a
student-to-faculty ratio of 14:1. The SD School of Mines placement rate is 98
percent, with an average early-career salary for graduates of $65,600,
according to the 2014-2015 PayScale report. Find us online at www.sdsmt.edu, on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/sdsmt and on
Twitter at https://twitter.com/sdsmt.