Organization: Raytheon Missile Systems, Tucson, AZ
Date: June 2016 – March 2017
Background: A team of seven of material scientists and engineers generated a metals additive manufacturing qualification plan to assess the technology readiness to build flight hardware. The plan included performing process power-velocity analysis of microstructure weld-beads to characterize the relationship. The main component of the project was the development quality control procedures and the development of a set of designed experiments (DOE) to characterize the manufacturing process and optimized process settings to achieve target material properties.
Objective: To quantify process parameter sensitivity by surveying the manufacturing build space via design of experiments (DOE).
My Position: Manufacturing Engineer
My Role: I was the lead manufacturing engineer in charge of executing the DOE. I owned the project from cradle-to-grave; I proposed the project, designed and executed the experiment, coordinated with material testing suppliers, and performed the statistical analysis to quantify parameter sensitivity.
Technical Fundamentals: Mechanics of Materials, Statistics, and Matrix Algebra
Skills: Manufacturing engineering, statistical process control and improvement, root-cause analysis, data analysis, descriptive statistics, and leadership.
Technology Tools: JMP Statistical Analysis, MATLAB, RPM-Innovations 557 Laser System (Powder-Fed Laser-Directed Energy-Deposition AM technology)
Results / Outcome: Achieved a robust process control procedure and parameter set that yielded superior material properties, and was consequently used to build the follow-on program hardware used in structural testing. The ultimate goal was to use the manufacturing process to build demonstration flight hardware.