Sometimes, purpose is clear, and sometimes your purpose needs to be discovered, like the Carl Sagan quote: “Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known.” That’s how it was for me. I wanted to do something great that honored those who came before me and inspired those coming after me, as well as those on the journey with me. 

About 10 years ago in my professional life, I knew that I was not on that path.  But which path was the right one? I had heard the old adage, “If you follow your passion, you’ll never work a day in your life.“  I had always been interested in entrepreneurship professionally, inspired by stories of successful entrepreneurs in the tech and video game industries where pioneers blazed trails and created incredible products and services that people loved while doing very well for themselves along the way. 

My goal was to find the next great industry—the next software or video game industry. I had also heard that people who did what they enjoyed or were good at as children, ended up being the most successful adults. I thought back about what I was interested in as a kid, and I remembered writing my fifth grade state report on Florida, and how I had written about the Space Shuttle program.   I also remembered my homemade Halloween astronaut costume. Lastly, I remember watching Challenger live in my first grade classroom earlier that same year and the effect it had on me.  I realized that even then, I had a budding interest in space, so I decided to look for ways I could learn more about the modern business of space. 

I paid my own way to ISPCS (International Symposium of Personal and Commercial Spaceflight) in Las Cruces, New Mexico in 2012. It was there I rubbed shoulders with astronauts, high level aerospace executives, and generally friendly and welcoming people.  I walked away from that conference with the feeling that something compelling was happening in space. The next question was—how could I apply my skills to space?  Coming from a business, and not a STEM background, the path wasn’t totally clear. Once I learned that companies were actually selling tickets to space—in this case Virgin Galactic, I was hooked.  Once I discovered the “Overview Effect,” a book written by Frank White, I knew what I wanted to do—help people have this profound experience.  

These explorations led me to combine my new passion (space) with my old passion (entrepreneurship) to form the Space Entrepreneur’s Meetup in February of 2014. Our first meetup was three people on a Google Hangout, and our next meetup was almost 100 people in downtown Kirkland with a keynote speaker. Since then, Space Entrepreneurs has grown to well over 1,000 members, pointing to the interest in the business of space in the Pacific Northwest. I have met countless interesting and inspiring space entrepreneurs and professionals, like Christopher Richins, founder of RBC Signals, a satellite ground station company.  An entrepreneurial dream of mine was to join an exciting startup early on, and I was fortunate to join RBC Signals just after they raised their seed round in January of 2017 and I have been helping them ever since. 

Stemming from my involvement in the Pacific Northwest space industry also came the co-founding of Space Northwest, an organization that seeks to build upon the rich legacy of the Pacific Northwest’s more than 60-year space economy through innovation, technology, entrepreneurship and to build bridges to innovative careers for all.

The process of discovering my purpose has been an interesting journey.  How do I know I’m on the right path now?  I suppose there’s no way to ever know for sure. Maybe the fact that I was born on April 12th—U.N. International Day of Human Spaceflight (the day Yuri Gagarin became the first person to reach space in 1961 and Space Shuttle Columbia became the first shuttle launched in 1981)—is just a coincidence. Or maybe it’s one of life’s funny ways to let me know I’m on the right path.

This could end effectively with the prior paragraph…maybe don’t need this last one?

Beyond space, my first true passion is sports.  I grew up playing all kinds of sports, and ended up playing football in college for the University of San Diego.  I have three kids, all in different sports (Aiden, football; Mia, tennis; and Mason, baseball) and have coached all the way along. I enjoy building Legos and playing tennis in my free time.

The post Northwest Readers Share a Story appeared first on Northwest Aerospace News.

Being an avid reader of this magazine, you may recall an article from last year, when we shared news about the state’s Innovation Cluster Accelerator Program (ICAP), a Washington State Department of Commerce program supported through the EDA Safe Start Grant.

The goal of the innovation clusters is to drive innovation, overcome barriers, and access new market opportunities, as well as to attract talent and capital. The full ICAP program is currently supporting nine industry-led innovation clusters, one of them being managed by our partner, the Aerospace Future Alliance (AFA).* Misha Lujan, director of cluster initiatives, is sharing about all the work she has been involved with in the creation of the new Sustainable Aviation Technologies and Energies (SATE) Cluster.

Last fall, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) gathered in Montreal and adopted a collective long-term global aspirational goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.^[1] While it is true that the aviation industry only contributes two to five percent of global carbon emissions today, that percentage will exponentially increase when commercial travel grows as projected and other sectors decarbonize more rapidly. Airplanes have long life cycles and significant energy requirements. That is why aviation is one of the most challenging sectors to decarbonize. If the aviation industry hopes to achieve the goals outlined by the ICAO, innovation must accelerate rapidly.

In March 2022, AFA received a Department of Commerce Innovation Cluster Accelerator Program grant to help lead the aviation industry’s global fight against climate change. The Sustainable Aviation Technologies and Energies (SATE) Cluster is a consortium of legacy industry, entrepreneur, research institutions, government, and venture capital partners working collaboratively to decarbonize the aviation industry.

The SATE Cluster recognizes the utilization of three tools—Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), electrified, and hydrogen-powered aviation—as a holistic approach to decarbonization. Three focus areas guide the work of the SATE Cluster: increased project coordination, targeted advocacy, and workforce development. 

As we look toward a net-zero future, today, only one tool is available to reduce carbon emissions by up to 80 percent. Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAFs) are “drop-in” fuels compatible with existing aircraft and engines. The Sustainable Aviation Fuel Grand Challenge Roadmap calls for three billion gallons of sustainable aviation fuel annually by 2030 and 35 billion gallons by 2050 to meet the carbon reduction goals.^[2] Current production in the United States is approximately five million gallons of SAF. Washington State University is a global leader in SAF research, along with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, as co-leaders of ASCENT, the Federal Aviation Administration’s sustainable aviation research organization. 

In September 2022, Eviation completed a test flight of Alice, the first all-electric passenger airplane. Alice took off from the Grant County International Airport in scenic Moses Lake, Washington, ascended to 3,500 feet, and flew for eight minutes. For electric aviation, the limiting factor for commercial deployment continues to be battery storage and energy density. Batteries do not have the same energy density as fossil fuels. For that reason, all-electric aircraft, like Alice, will primarily serve smaller regional markets.^[3]

While it once seemed like a far-off dream, hydrogen-powered aviation is quickly becoming a reality. According to the European Union’s 2022 hydrogen-powered aviation report, hydrogen could feasibly be used to power a commercial passenger aircraft on a flight of up to 3,000 kilometers (1864.1 miles) by 2035 and medium-range flight of up to 7,000 kilometers by 2040.^[4] Last month, ZeroAvia made history by flying the world’s largest hydrogen-electric aircraft. ZeroAvia is expanding rapidly with plans to open a new hanger space at Everett’s Paine Field in April 2023.

With a predominantly renewable power grid,^[5] a robust offering of feedstocks for SAF,^[6] a well-established advanced manufacturing supply chain, and world-class researchers, Washington State is poised to lead the aviation industry’s transition to a decarbonized future. Achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 in one of the most difficult-to-abate sectors will require focused resources and collaboration across the aviation industry. Concentrated innovation engines like the SATE Cluster will be critical in the industry’s transformation.

For more information on the SATE Cluster, go to www.afa-wa.com/sate. 

*Aerospace Futures Alliance is Washington State’s trade association for aerospace and aviation. For nearly two decades, AFA has served as a unifying voice to advocate for policies impacting aerospace on a local, state, and federal. To learn more, visit www.afa-wa.com. 

¹  https://www.icao.int/environmental-protection/SAC/Pages/Aviation-net-zero.aspx

²  https://www.energy.gov/sites/default/files/2022-09/beto-saf-gc-roadmap-report-sept-2022.pdf

^[3] https://wsdot.wa.gov/sites/default/files/2021-11/WSDOT-Electric-Aircraft-Feasibility-Study.pdf

^[4] https://ec.europa.eu/research-and-innovation/en/horizon-magazine/quiet-and-green-why-hydrogen-planes-could-be-future-aviation

^[5] https://wsdot.wa.gov/sites/default/files/2021-11/WSDOT-Electric-Aircraft-Feasibility-Study.pdf

^[6] https://www.climatesolutions.org/sites/default/files/uploads/safn_2011report.pdf

The post ADVANCE 2023 appeared first on Northwest Aerospace News.

The goal of the innovation clusters is to drive innovation, overcome barriers, and access new market opportunities, as well as to attract talent and capital. The full ICAP program is currently supporting nine industry-led innovation clusters, one of them being managed by our partner, the Aerospace Future Alliance (AFA).* Misha Lujan, director of cluster initiatives, is sharing about all the work she has been involved with in the creation of the new Sustainable Aviation Technologies and Energies (SATE) Cluster.

Last fall, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) gathered in Montreal and adopted a collective long-term global aspirational goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.^[1] While it is true that the aviation industry only contributes two to five percent of global carbon emissions today, that percentage will exponentially increase when commercial travel grows as projected and other sectors decarbonize more rapidly. Airplanes have long life cycles and significant energy requirements. That is why aviation is one of the most challenging sectors to decarbonize. If the aviation industry hopes to achieve the goals outlined by the ICAO, innovation must accelerate rapidly.

In March 2022, AFA received a Department of Commerce Innovation Cluster Accelerator Program grant to help lead the aviation industry’s global fight against climate change. The Sustainable Aviation Technologies and Energies (SATE) Cluster is a consortium of legacy industry, entrepreneur, research institutions, government, and venture capital partners working collaboratively to decarbonize the aviation industry.

The SATE Cluster recognizes the utilization of three tools—Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), electrified, and hydrogen-powered aviation—as a holistic approach to decarbonization. Three focus areas guide the work of the SATE Cluster: increased project coordination, targeted advocacy, and workforce development. 

As we look toward a net-zero future, today, only one tool is available to reduce carbon emissions by up to 80 percent. Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAFs) are “drop-in” fuels compatible with existing aircraft and engines. The Sustainable Aviation Fuel Grand Challenge Roadmap calls for three billion gallons of sustainable aviation fuel annually by 2030 and 35 billion gallons by 2050 to meet the carbon reduction goals.^[2] Current production in the United States is approximately five million gallons of SAF. Washington State University is a global leader in SAF research, along with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, as co-leaders of ASCENT, the Federal Aviation Administration’s sustainable aviation research organization. 

In September 2022, Eviation completed a test flight of Alice, the first all-electric passenger airplane. Alice took off from the Grant County International Airport in scenic Moses Lake, Washington, ascended to 3,500 feet, and flew for eight minutes. For electric aviation, the limiting factor for commercial deployment continues to be battery storage and energy density. Batteries do not have the same energy density as fossil fuels. For that reason, all-electric aircraft, like Alice, will primarily serve smaller regional markets.^[3]

While it once seemed like a far-off dream, hydrogen-powered aviation is quickly becoming a reality. According to the European Union’s 2022 hydrogen-powered aviation report, hydrogen could feasibly be used to power a commercial passenger aircraft on a flight of up to 3,000 kilometers (1864.1 miles) by 2035 and medium-range flight of up to 7,000 kilometers by 2040.^[4] Last month, ZeroAvia made history by flying the world’s largest hydrogen-electric aircraft. ZeroAvia is expanding rapidly with plans to open a new hanger space at Everett’s Paine Field in April 2023.

With a predominantly renewable power grid,^[5] a robust offering of feedstocks for SAF,^[6] a well-established advanced manufacturing supply chain, and world-class researchers, Washington State is poised to lead the aviation industry’s transition to a decarbonized future. Achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 in one of the most difficult-to-abate sectors will require focused resources and collaboration across the aviation industry. Concentrated innovation engines like the SATE Cluster will be critical in the industry’s transformation.

For more information on the SATE Cluster, go to www.afa-wa.com/sate. 

*Aerospace Futures Alliance is Washington State’s trade association for aerospace and aviation. For nearly two decades, AFA has served as a unifying voice to advocate for policies impacting aerospace on a local, state, and federal. To learn more, visit www.afa-wa.com. 

¹  https://www.icao.int/environmental-protection/SAC/Pages/Aviation-net-zero.aspx

²  https://www.energy.gov/sites/default/files/2022-09/beto-saf-gc-roadmap-report-sept-2022.pdf

^[3] https://wsdot.wa.gov/sites/default/files/2021-11/WSDOT-Electric-Aircraft-Feasibility-Study.pdf

^[4] https://ec.europa.eu/research-and-innovation/en/horizon-magazine/quiet-and-green-why-hydrogen-planes-could-be-future-aviation

^[5] https://wsdot.wa.gov/sites/default/files/2021-11/WSDOT-Electric-Aircraft-Feasibility-Study.pdf

^[6] https://www.climatesolutions.org/sites/default/files/uploads/safn_2011report.pdf

The post Fueling New Technology appeared first on Northwest Aerospace News.

By Michael Doyle, co-founder and president, Space Northwest

It started with a tweet.

It was spring of 2015 when I saw the tweet from NASA that changed my life. 

“Want to change the universe? Form a team. Pick a challenge. Innovate! @SpaceApps April 10-12”

At the time I was a software development manager on Wall Street in New York City, enjoying my career, but feeling a strange longing for something…more. Space had been an interest from childhood and all through my college career, but I had put it aside, thinking I didn’t fit in, that there was no place for me.

But the tweet said something different. NASA’s International Space Apps Challenge was calling everyone—around the world, all skills, and all backgrounds. The hackathon was an intense weekend-long event where teams created technology solutions to NASA-issued challenges. Anyone could join the movement to improve life on Earth and our future in space through the use of space data. At my wife’s encouragement, I canceled my commitment for that weekend and went.

The experience was beyond what I could have anticipated. At the 2015 Space Apps NYC event, I learned about the incredible developments in space commercialization, met an astronaut and was surrounded by kindred souls. We were all excited by technology and space and where the two were taking us. I emerged knowing what had been missing and where I wanted to go. 

That led me to the Space Frontier Foundation’s NewSpace Conference in Seattle in 2016. Seeing the amazing space community here, I packed up the family and moved across the country to be closer to it. In October of that year, I took the International Space University (ISU) Executive Space Course, held at the Museum of Flight in Tukwila, which further connected me to the amazing individuals and companies that make up the regional space scene. 

Where are the space people?

Once in Seattle, I was sure to register for Space Apps 2017. I had high hopes for the event, but did not see the space community represented. I saw talent from Seattle’s software and startup scene who wanted to find their connection to space. When I asked where are the space people, the local lead organizer said vaguely, “They are out there.” When I talked to my space connections, they had never heard of Space Apps. I resolved to fix that and took lead in 2018. 

Early on, I involved Sean McClinton from Space Entrepreneurs Seattle, to help engage the community. From 2018 to 2019, NASA Space Apps Seattle grew with strong involvement from both the space and tech community. Our sponsors, partners, volunteers and judges came from Amazon Web Services, Ansys, BlackSky, Blue Origin, First Mode, LeoStella, Lockheed Martin, MXTreality, RBC Signals, The Space Frontier Foundation and Xplore. We had Korean astronaut, Soyeon Yi, as a keynote speaker as well. 

In 2019, in answer to the question of how do we help teams commercialize their Space Apps projects, we ran Seattle’s first Techstars Startup Weekend focused on space. Like Space Apps, Startup Weekend is also an intense weekend-long event where the focus is on building the skills for launching a startup and the product is a business. James Burk of the Mars Society joined the effort in 2020, leading Space Apps through the pandemic years and helping launch the Space Data Hackers monthly meetup in 2021. And in 2022, James, Sean and I brought all our programs under one non-profit organization: Space Northwest.

In December 2022, Space Northwest led Seattle’s second Techstars Startup Weekend, which was a success across the board. We saw a mixing of engineers, entrepreneurs, software people and designers. Roughly 60 percent knew space, some having experience at Blue Origin, SpaceX, Boeing or other aerospace and manufacturing. The other 40 percent were engaged with space for the first time. We saw the building of skills, the birth of innovation but more importantly, the creating of community. Of the seven teams that made it through the weekend, there were three companies in the process of exploration two months later, an impressive result for this kind of event. 

I started on this journey because I wanted to spread the amazing experience I’d had that began with Space Apps in 2015. I wanted people who love space and didn’t know they could be a part of it, to join the mission. For some, it could be just for the fun of a weekend. For others, it could be a turning point in their lives—and maybe bringing their talent into space endeavors could be a turning point for a lot more. I wanted to break down the silos between Seattle’s space, startup and tech communities, let the reactants mix and see what would happen. 

I’ve been amazed when I tell people about this passion of mine, how many of them say they too have always been fascinated by space. They might be lawyers or CPAs or software engineers or data scientists. Some might have an aerospace background they put to the side but never stopped looking at the stars. Some aren’t going to make the big leap. But some will and if we show them the way, what could happen? What innovation awaits, what benefits will we see for how we care for our planet and journey beyond it?

Opening the doors to space.

Answering these questions is core to the Space Northwest mission. The work of our future in space is growing rapidly and the needs outstrip the supply of workers. We need to continue to break down the silos, remove the barriers, and let those who didn’t realize they could be a part know there is a place for them.

That means investing in diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility (DEIA), elevating underrepresented groups and underserved communities. This is foundational. The space opportunity is one that should leave out no one, particularly those who have been left out of other economic booms.

It means workforce development, training the people who want to join the ranks of space. It means increasing and improving STEM education. It means supporting all roles in the space economy: machinists, welders and other trade workers as well as engineers, researchers and other professionals. It means educating and supporting entrepreneurs and innovators whose initiative can make transformative change.

Finally, it means getting the word out across the country and around the world that the Pacific Northwest is a great place for space. I was lucky that I came here and observed firsthand. I want others who haven’t been here to know and to join us.

Humanity is going to space. We need the best from all of us for that journey. The question is: are you looking for space people beyond where you think you’ll find them? Are you pulling down barriers and breaking down silos? There’s tremendous power unlocked when someone who thought they didn’t have a place finally finds it.

The post Finding the Space People appeared first on Northwest Aerospace News.

Mukilteo, Washington, that sees the big picture.

By Jennifer Ferrero 

Nick Honeycutt is an everyman’s manufacturing company operator. Like many in the commercial aerospace industry in the Northwest, he has the highs and lows of running and growing a small company. Honeycutt shared that he sleeps minimally, maybe four hours a night. “I have four kids, and they are all busy with sports; after they go to bed, I sit up and think about the business.” There’s no wonder where his thoughts go in running the company—the political climate, hiring and maintaining employees, upgrading equipment and square footage, competition, vendors, and adding services and customers. Add in concerns felt going through the pandemic and its challenges, and it keeps a man up at night. 

But Honeycutt will tell you that they are busy and growing—he sees opportunity in commercial aerospace and space. The two industries he said, “are very different.” Through perseverance and change, Honeycutt and the team share their optimism and belief that their business is a going concern. The tagline leaves no doubt that this is a machine shop, “AEROSPACE. MARINE. MEDICAL. SCIENTIFIC. BEYOND. WE MACHINE.” 

The business, initially founded by their father, Ron Honeycutt, is now operated by Steve, Tim, and Nick Honeycutt. In 2006, Ron decided to sell the company. The buyer needed to be a better fit. After four years, Ron repurchased it when the existing owner failed. The company’s repurchase took a name change from Honeycutt Machine to Honeycutt Manufacturing. Then they started repairing customer relationships. 

Now they have a staff of 32 personnel. Dad is less involved but still comes by the facility for a few hours daily. According to Nick, Honeycutt Manufacturing serves the aerospace industry about 60 to 65 percent of the time. Additional work includes high-end fly-fishing equipment, snowboard bindings, and parts of coffee makers. 

But during the pandemic, he remarked that they also picked up some much-needed space work from Blue Origin. Nick said that was low-volume, high-value prototyping work. They were grateful for the work since the airline industry dried up. But in 2023, things are on a rebound, and Nick is prepared. 

Nick’s twin brother, Tim, is also prepared. Tim is responsible for everything “customer-facing and outside the facility’s walls.” He observed that everything from “punching bag to shoulder to cry on” falls into his purview. But kidding aside, the brothers, including Steve, work hard to keep customers and employees happy. 

The twins went to Washington State University. They aren’t like many manufacturing managers, because they have the education and generational knowledge that keeps them going. One of the challenges they’ve faced is a familiar story—workforce development. Tim said that right after the pandemic, there was a hiring spree by regional manufacturers who were rapidly approaching competitors’ employees and working to lure them away. 

The Honeycutt’s wanted to keep valuable employees, so they negotiated shift changes and gave everyone a 10 percent raise. They also were privy to an SBA loan to help them automate the plant. They decided to begin by automating their new 5-axis mill, which they had purchased in 2018 for $900,000. At the time, they needed more space, so they opened the facility next door for expansion. 

Now, they have automated other machines. It allows them to run the machines for 50 to 60 hours unattended on the weekends. Also, during the period after the pandemic, when commercial aerospace work fell off, they could pick up work with Blue Origin. Nick noted about the automation, “That’s how we were able to weather the storm.” He said that investing in automation shows the “fruits of labor” almost immediately.  

Although automation and investments in machinery have become important, hiring good people is still critical to their success. As a family-owned and operated facility, Nick feels their culture is key. Tim said that when he arrives at work each day, he likes to walk around and say hello to everyone to see how they are doing. Nick added, “If you are here, you are family.” Both agreed that hiring is still tricky. Instead of hiring machinists directly, they said they would instead bring someone in to “sweep the floors” and cut materials, and if they are ethical and have a good attitude, they can be trained to run machinery. They also promote from within, said Nick, “If they show the effort and the ability, we will move them up.” 

Tim said that employees are everything to them, “If they need help with money, time off, or a compensation discussion,” they will do that. He said they encourage all employees to contribute to the 401k plan because the company will match five percent. But interestingly, many employees don’t want to contribute. “Saving for retirement—it is hard to get people to understand how they are missing out on free money,” he added. 

He noted that they continue to innovate to keep employees happy, “We have to find a way to stay competitive and stay ahead of the curve; we want to keep people here.” They’ve even added retention bonuses every three months, wherein they add 10 hours of payment to the paycheck, no strings attached. 

One of the greatest assets of Honeycutt Manufacturing is its agility. Nick added, “When you call, you are talking to the decision maker. There are not five layers of people to sign off on a decision.”

Tim affirmed this agility also comes into play if they are overloaded with work. He said they have relationships with smaller machine shops that they can contact for support. According to the website, www.honeycutt-mfg.com, “We also are happy to work with your preferred vendors, and under any pre-existing pricing arrangements, you may have. This flexibility not only allows us to provide you with a complete production solution for any part you bring to us, but it also enables us to pass along lower production costs by leveraging competitive bidding across vendors throughout the industry.”

In summary

Like many small manufacturing companies, Honeycutt Manufacturing is family-owned and operated. The brothers, Steve, Nick, and Tim, feel responsible to customers, employees, and the family to ensure the business’s success. They are hopeful for upcoming contracts and new business. The company’s past is rich, and the future is bright for the generational family business, Honeycutt Manufacturing.  

Contact 

Honeycutt Manufacturing
12402 Evergreen Drive
Mukilteo, WA 98275
www.honeycutt-mfg.com
Email: info@honeycutt-mfg.com
Phone: 425-493-0525

The post Analytical, Agile and Accessible appeared first on Northwest Aerospace News.

and high quality.

By Jennifer Ferrero 

Value, quality, and speedy manufacturing of aerospace parts punctuate Quickparts. The company is international and has offices around the country and in France, Germany, the United Kingdom, and Italy. Salvador Mikel, chief revenue officer, said, “The company has resources with regionalized facilities and options for low-volume prototype and production runs.”

Mikel said, “With a global scale, (we are) constantly adding new technologies.” They recently added Roboze machines which eliminate the need for expensive high-end metal parts and use super polymers instead. He added, “With this technology, the machines and materials are already qualified for critical applications in aerospace.”

Their Seattle office serves aerospace manufacturing in the Northwest. General Manager Nancy Holt of the Seattle office has been with the company for 32 years. 

Holt said they are a solution for the aerospace industry because “of our diverse offering. We focus on quality and speed, and we can maintain that across offerings.” 

Holt said the new Roboze machines are at the Seattle location. Roboze makes machinery for 3D additive printing with polymers and composites. Mikel said, “Roboze is using super polymers and composites; replacing metal parts lowers the cost of parts and shortens manufacturing time.”

The company keeps offerings simple, but they say they can build any custom project and handle projects of all complexities, which they say their competitors cannot. Services include 3D, injection molding, CNC, and other traditional manufacturing services. Christina Belenky, PR manager, said, “We have two offerings that offer faster shipping times—Quickparts Express (3D can be as fast as the same day, five days for IJM and CNC), or a traditional portfolio that offers more material selection, more complex geometries, and higher part runs. Customers can choose the right offering based on tighter timeline needs and complexities/runs of their part.” Mikel said they offer in-house services but have a network of contractors outsourcing portions of projects as needed. 

Mikel said that for most metal manufacturing processes, “It is about subtracting,” like removing portions of a block of metal to make a part. But with additive manufacturing, it is built up layer by layer. 

Mikel and Holt reflected on the speed to market for aerospace parts. Their business is focused on convenience in making custom parts. In addition, Mikel said that certifications play an important role. They are EN 9100 certified (the European equivalent to AS 9100D).

Holt said that their qualifications and the ability to build relationships mean they can “be involved with a project from day one through production.” They develop and leverage relationships with customers where trust can be built. “Speed to market is at the forefront of a customer’s mind. They either have an existing product to get to market, or they are re-developing or replacing a product,” Holt said. She added that putting a number on a quote is one thing, but “To execute and deliver on that and exceed the expectation, that’s what we strive to do.” That builds trust, she said.  

Holt declared the most important thing to the company is the customers, “without them, we wouldn’t be here.” 

They provide services throughout the supply chain. They serve Tier 1 and Tier 2 suppliers at the Seattle location. “There are a few we are working with as Tier 1 suppliers, but the rest are Tier 2,” Holt said. She noted that their customers include foundries and the investment casting industry, saying “Investment Casting is based on the lost-wax casting process that utilizes an expendable pattern to create a mold into which molten metal is poured.”  At Quickparts, they 3D print the pattern. 

How resilient are 3D-printed items?  Holt said that when 3D printing started, it wasn’t that great. But in 2023, you can print an end-use production part for a boat, plane, or truck. Holt said that Roboze has taken this ability to the next level due to its investment in materials. “Customers now have access to resins with 3D printing that includes speed—they can get super composite materials that perform at a high level,” she said.  

Mikel said that additive manufacturing is the future, “We are seeing adoption over the last few years; it is easier, faster, and lower cost.” He shared that the advantage of additive manufacturing is to “Design parts so that plastic material is supported. The complexity of the parts you can manufacture with additives is significantly more. With additive manufacturing, you can keep building; simultaneously, it shortens the time and complexity of manufacturing.” 

He added that there are no limits in additive manufacturing. 

With aerospace regulations, “Additive in aerospace has grown significantly,” Mikel said. There are critical and non-critical parts, and “Additive is widely used for non-critical parts.” He said that over time with “lower costs, and disruption, and also the use of metal in additive parts, the adoption is slower with critical parts.”

But Mikel said that they use traditional manufacturing for applications that have yet to be ready for additives. In the case of mass production, “China is still the name of the game.” But he said that because most aerospace work is not mass production—it is lower runs, with higher control and protection, “You wouldn’t outsource to China.” 

He said the newer aerospace parts that use vacuum and urethane casting are still used for traditional aerospace parts.

Both Mikel and Holt indicated that there are options for modern aerospace manufacturing. They can choose the best fit between 3D printing, injection molding, and vacuum casting. The Seattle facility specializes in 3D-printed investment casting patterns, which has lowered the cost of production. 

From his perspective, today’s aerospace manufacturing requires traditional and modern techniques. With prototyping, “Rapid prototyping is now dominated by additive manufacturing,” said Mikel. CNC machining is a relevant manufacturing process. 

For aerospace mass production, injection molding is most used. For millions of parts, traditional manufacturing methods are still cheaper. “Lowering the cost per unit with additive can lead to mass production,” he added. 

“We want to offer the customer exactly what they need for manufacturing,” Mikel said. With the variety of options, they can accommodate the parts needed for the industry. Holt said they practice the highest standards for quality assurance with “full traceability of the part and machine through the entire process.” She said there are inspection processes as well to ensure quality. 

Holt said they’d had the same issues with hiring in recent years as many in the Seattle location’s aerospace industry. They offer training processes that are considered “on-the-job” training. Finding reliable, trainable, and adaptable people is the “first hurdle.” From there, they document all training for new employees. She did offer that they encourage employees to refer friends and family to apply to the company. She said it can take time to develop senior-level people, “I am fortunate to have senior-tenured people, which helps when we onboard someone new.” 

Contact 

Quickparts website: https://quickparts.com/contact-quickparts/

The post Reinvention of Speed and Service appeared first on Northwest Aerospace News.

An emotional event marks the final delivery of the iconic double-decker airplane that changed commercial aviation

It was 1967 when Boeing mechanics in Everett, Washington started riveting together a massive, new airplane that became widely known as the “Queen of the Skies.”

The 747 was the first commercial airplane capable of long-range travel, reaching points anywhere in the world. Not only that, the 747 was the first twin-aisle airplane. As a result, she had double the capacity of any commercial airplane at the time. That fact opened the skies to many, as opposed to what had previously been just a few.

Fast forward to the last day of January, 2023 in the same Everett factory where the 747 was born. There were wide smiles, coupled with tears and camera-shutter clicks, as about 10,000 people celebrated the delivery of the final 747.

That last airplane, a 747-8 Freighter, was the 1,574th manufactured, capping a production run spanning more than five-and-a-half decades. It outlasted any number of airplane programs that came and went during that span—both at Boeing and its competitors.

The final 747 is revealed during the ceremony honoring the airplane’s legacy. (Craig Larsen photo)

Thousands of employees—both current and former—were joined by customer and supplier representatives, government officials and a global online audience. They gathered to pay tribute to the last of its kind, a four-engine behemoth with the distinctive hump that changed the commercial aviation industry forever. 

Employees watch as factory doors open revealing the final 747.

Veteran Fabrication employee Joey Nguyen, who volunteered to help at the event, has worked on 747 parts in Auburn, Washington, but had never seen a completed 747 before Tuesday. “To see it in person—the last one—it’s really amazing. It’s massive,” he said.

Participants were emotional as they took photos near the airplane and at a special selfie station.

“It’s really cool to think about how many families and generations have worked on this airplane. It’s making me emotional,” said Nathalie Moyano, who works in Digital Transformation.

“When I first had my internship at Boeing, I came to the factory on a tour above the plane,” she continued. “It was the most incredible thing to just see the wings—standing above them—and realizing that thing flies. It’s amazing we build these products.”

Employees pose for photos beside the final 747 prior to the ceremony. (Josh Green photo)

Atlas Air, the world’s largest operator of the airplane took delivery of the final airplane, bringing its current 747 fleet to 56.  

The hour-plus event featured remarks by past and present Boeing leaders and customer representatives. Renowned entertainer (and pilot) John Travolta, who provided narration for many of the videos at the event, even made a surprise appearance.

The 747 program employed tens of thousands of people during its production run, and those on the program at the end are being integrated into other programs.

The final 747 now joins hundreds of its kind serving the in-service fleet, which will be delivering people and goods around the world for decades.

“We turn a page today, but we don’t close the book,” said Stan Deal, Boeing Commercial Airplanes president & CEO. “While it is bittersweet to see 747 production ending, Boeing teammates will be supporting our customers operating these highly capable airplanes for many years to come.”

Atlas Air gave the Queen a fitting flyaway; after the aircraft left Boeing’s Everett plant, pilots traced a crown in the sky with “747” in the middle.

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