A B-1B Lancer lands
at Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D., Oct. 30, 2018. The B-1 is the backbone of
the United States' long-range bomber force.
The cold spray process, developed at SD Mines, is now being used to help
keep B-1’s combat ready. (U.S. Air Force
photo by Airman 1st Class Thomas Karol).
Aviation Week has given South Dakota School of
Mines & Technology, the 28th Bomb Wing at Ellsworth Air Force
Base and Moog Inc. a Laureate
Award for pioneering the use of cold spray technology in aircraft repair and
maintenance. In March the three organizations will be recognized at the 62nd
Annual Laureate Awards in Washington, D.C., in the MRO (Maintenance, Repair,
and Operations) category.
The cold spray process was invented during the Cold War and developed
at SD Mines in conjunction with the Army Research Laboratory (ARL). Mines and
ARL further developed portable equipment suitable for military and aerospace
applications. The cold spray process involves blasting metallic powder at a
high velocity onto a metal surface that is worn or in need of repair. The metal
particles, or spray, bond to the existing metal and create repaired surfaces
that are like or better than new. The US Air Force’s 28th Bomb Wing is now using
cold spray to repair the B-1 bombers, saving the service about $250,000 per restored
panel.
The development of cold spray at Mines lead to the highly successful
spin-off company VRC
Metal Systems. The company was named
among the 40 Best University Start-Ups of 2017. Former South Dakota Gov. Dennis Daugaard also
recognized VRC Metal Systems with the Governor’s 2015 Giant Vision Award and Christian
Widener, Ph.D., former Mines associate professor as the 2018
Entrepreneur of the Year.
“This recognition from Aviation Week is an honor for the university
and it further highlights the potential for research at Mines to spin-off into
world-class innovation and high-tech job creation,” says Mines President Jim
Rankin.
Grant Crawford, Ph.D., is director of the Arbegast Materials and Processing (AMP)
Laboratory, a cutting-edge research facility for advanced metals
processing, joining, cladding and other materials development applications. Crawford
is among those who will be on hand to accept the Laurate Award in Washington, D.C.,
in March. “This award is a unique honor and certainly highlights
the significant efforts of many individuals at SD Mines and our collaborators
at VRC Metal Systems, Moog and Ellsworth Air Force Base,” says Crawford. “We plan to build
on this recognition by continuing to develop cost-effective repair technology
to support the sustainability of Air Force, Navy and Army infrastructure, while
also providing unique education and training opportunities for our students.”
Aviation Week is a recognized industry leader
and the annual Laureate Award winners are considered trail-blazers. The organization’s
mission statement reads “Aviation Week's core mission has not changed since it
was founded in 1916: To serve industry accurate, scientific and unbiased
information that becomes a ‘great stimulus’ to its success.”