Open the Door to 2024: Unlocking Opportunities

Sometimes life can catch you by surprise. One thing leads to the next and even when you’re not looking, new opportunities can arise. For Allie, it was joining The Barnes Global Advisors and jumping feet first into an industry full of opportunities, potential, and people truly passionate about accelerating technologies in advanced manufacturing. 

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ArticlesAllie Kunkel
2024 3D Printing Predictions from the Experts: Metal 3D Printing

Metal 3D printing has attracted significant investment in recent years, with machine sales increasing by over tenfold in the past decade. The industry has witnessed the rise of large multi-laser systems in what 3DPrint.com refers to as the “Laser Wars.” Disruptive companies like Seurat, Velo3D, and VulcanForms have introduced innovative solutions, reshaping the market landscape. Meanwhile, affordable options like MELTIO, Xact Metal, and One Click Metal are democratizing metal 3D printing.

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Additive Manufacturing for Defense: Targeting Qualification

In article 1 of this series, Kevin Slattery and John Barnes laid out the basic framework for qualification. Subsequently, in article 2, we examined the environment of space, followed by heavy transportation in article 3.  In each of these articles, spearheaded by the first, the authors elucidated that the process for qualification is essentially the same.  The testing and types of testing may vary based on the expected environment but in all instances, industry wants a repeatable, reliable process. But, why is defense different?

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ArticlesAllie Kunkel
RIP 3D Printing. Long Live AM!

As we read our good friend Joris Peels’ recent series “RIP 3D Printing”, we couldn’t help but conjure up the famous scene from Monty Python and the Holy Grail, “Bring out your dead!  But I’m not dead yet.”  3D printing isn’t dead per se.  There has always been confusion as to what is 3D printing and how it fits in with the related, but quite different, Additive Manufacturing (AM).  3D printing was a design solution.  AM is a manufacturing solution.

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ArticlesAllie Kunkel
Tech Transition Mantra: Affordable, Reliable, & Timely

If you can’t make “it” affordably, reliably, and in a timely manner, then you don’t have “it.” Rob Carter might have this mantra on his tombstone someday (hopefully a long time from now). Rob notes that he learned this repeatedly over the course of his career, and he notes, “Now that I am nearing the “greybeard” portion of my career (thanks to Andy Davis for repeatedly pointing that out), I can only wish to pass this on to those coming along after me.”

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The Barnes Global Advisors Announces Matthew Crill as Newest ADDvisor®

The Barnes Global Advisors (TBGA), a leader in advanced manufacturing (AM) consultancy services, is thrilled to announce the addition of Matthew Crill to the ADDvisor® team. Over 20+ years, Matthew has focused on the successful implementation of cutting-edge material and process solutions in high consequence applications for defense, space, and commercial platforms.

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Passion and Purpose in AM - A Program Management Perspective

Ethan spent 7 years with Lockheed Martin Aeronautics, spearheading initiatives that were vital to advancing defense platforms. In The F-35 Program Management Office, he led cross-functional teams that delivered over $1 billion in contract awards, helping modernize advanced technologies and mission systems. His contributions accelerated the development and qualification of metal and polymer additive manufacturing for mission-critical components and systems.

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Additive Manufacturing in Transportation: How It Moves Us

While this is true for the transportation industry at large, this article will focus on the widely used, yet rarely highlighted rail industry. From its early days chugging along with steam engines to today's cutting-edge solutions driven by diesel, natural gas, and electricity from overhead catenaries or onboard batteries like Wabtec's FLXdrive (check out Figure 1), the world of rail and locomotion technology has undergone quite the transformation.

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ArticlesAllie Kunkel
The Barnes Global Advisors Selected to Lead Delta Qualification Team by the Air Force Research Lab

The Barnes Global Advisors (TBGA) have been awarded the contract to lead TEAM RED, (Thorough Evaluation of AM with Rigorous Expertise and Data) within the America Makes Delta Qualification program. This significant contract is funded by the Air Force Research Lab (AFRL) and marks a pivotal moment in advancing additive manufacturing (AM) qualification standards.

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Delivering AM Solutions that Strengthen and Secure Our Nation

The month of September marks one year since Andy turned in his Army civilian ID badge and joined TBGA.  Andy’s decision to journey into the “private sector” filled an essential role at TBGA that demonstrates how convening the right people across government, industry, academia, and allied partners can drive the adoption of additive manufacturing (AM) and strengthen our national security.

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TBGA President John Barnes Welcomes AM Industry Veteran Dr. Richard Grylls

The Barnes Global Advisors (TBGA), a renowned leader in advanced manufacturing (AM) consulting and services, is delighted to introduce Dr. Richard Grylls as the newest ADDvisor®. Dr. Grylls brings over 25 years of invaluable experience in metal AM systems, processes, materials, and properties to support TBGA's mission of advancing the industrialization of metal additive manufacturing.

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Additive Manufacturing in Space: Failing Upward

In the first article in this series, “A Framework for Qualifying Additively Manufactured Parts,” Dr. Kevin Slattery and John E. Barnes defined and mapped the key steps for Qualification, Certification (Q&C), and Production. In the following series, members of the TBGA team partner with industry experts to discuss what is unique about AM and how that impacts Q&C for their industry. In this article, TBGA’s Laura Ely collaborated with NASA’s Alison Park and Paul Gradl to expose the opportunities and challenges AM presents for Q&C of space systems.

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